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[bltserv_IHB]

The overcrowding was the biggest issue. My son was very gifted in some subjects and asleep in others.

Dealing with staff was almost impossible. They were more concerned with him defending himself because he was

a martial arts student then anything else. He was suspended a couple of times when all he did was avoid a fight.

Now this is several years ago. My son is now 23. But his memory of that school is very poor. He said the staff and the police presence

was very intimidating. It was more an institution to house teenagers that a place of learning. He says he wasted his entire time there

except for a couple teachers and classes. The Capistrano School district is a disaster. Do some reading before sending your children to this district.

If you want them to learn about becoming institutionalized. Then go for it.

FYI:

He now works at a large Irvine Electronics Company in product development.

 

[Lilypad_IHB]

The overcrowding was the biggest issue. My son was very gifted in some subjects and asleep in others.

Dealing with staff was almost impossible. They were more concerned with him defending himself because he was

a martial arts student then anything else. He was suspended a couple of times when all he did was avoid a fight.

Now this is several years ago. My son is now 23. But his memory of that school is very poor. He said the staff and the police presence

was very intimidating. It was more an institution to house teenagers that a place of learning. He says he wasted his entire time there

except for a couple teachers and classes. The Capistrano School district is a disaster. Do some reading before sending your children to this district.

If you want them to learn about becoming institutionalized. Then go for it.

FYI:

He now works at a large Irvine Electronics Company in product development.

Hey thanks for posting. I am a product of irvine and irvine schools (Alderwood, Rancho, Uni, then UCI), yes hardcore irvinite.

My wife and I are having a debate over Irvine or not. I believe that the schools and kids make a huge difference in their upbringing. Not to offend anyone but even between Uni and Irvine high there was a large disparity between the caliber of education and the general SES of the kids that went there. Hence I'm scared to even buy in Tustin Ranch where they would be sent off to Foothill high.

Given your experience in Aliso am I'm being too paranoid? Or are they valid concerns to have?

 

[frank69m_IHB]

The overcrowding was the biggest issue. My son was very gifted in some subjects and asleep in others.

Dealing with staff was almost impossible. They were more concerned with him defending himself because he was

a martial arts student then anything else. He was suspended a couple of times when all he did was avoid a fight.

Now this is several years ago. My son is now 23. But his memory of that school is very poor. He said the staff and the police presence

was very intimidating. It was more an institution to house teenagers that a place of learning. He says he wasted his entire time there

except for a couple teachers and classes. The Capistrano School district is a disaster. Do some reading before sending your children to this district.

If you want them to learn about becoming institutionalized. Then go for it.

FYI:

He now works at a large Irvine Electronics Company in product development.

Hey thanks for posting. I am a product of irvine and irvine schools (Alderwood, Rancho, Uni, then UCI), yes hardcore irvinite.

My wife and I are having a debate over Irvine or not. I believe that the schools and kids make a huge difference in their upbringing. Not to offend anyone but even between Uni and Irvine high there was a large disparity between the caliber of education and the general SES of the kids that went there. Hence I'm scared to even buy in Tustin Ranch where they would be sent off to Foothill high.

Given your experience in Aliso am I'm being too paranoid? Or are they valid concerns to have?

I think a lot of Tustin Ranch goes to Beckman.

 

[usctrojanman29_IHB]

The overcrowding was the biggest issue. My son was very gifted in some subjects and asleep in others.

Dealing with staff was almost impossible. They were more concerned with him defending himself because he was

a martial arts student then anything else. He was suspended a couple of times when all he did was avoid a fight.

Now this is several years ago. My son is now 23. But his memory of that school is very poor. He said the staff and the police presence

was very intimidating. It was more an institution to house teenagers that a place of learning. He says he wasted his entire time there

except for a couple teachers and classes. The Capistrano School district is a disaster. Do some reading before sending your children to this district.

If you want them to learn about becoming institutionalized. Then go for it.

FYI:

He now works at a large Irvine Electronics Company in product development.

Hey thanks for posting. I am a product of irvine and irvine schools (Alderwood, Rancho, Uni, then UCI), yes hardcore irvinite.

My wife and I are having a debate over Irvine or not. I believe that the schools and kids make a huge difference in their upbringing. Not to offend anyone but even between Uni and Irvine high there was a large disparity between the caliber of education and the general SES of the kids that went there. Hence I'm scared to even buy in Tustin Ranch where they would be sent off to Foothill high.

Given your experience in Aliso am I'm being too paranoid? Or are they valid concerns to have?

I think a lot of Tustin Ranch goes to Beckman.

Yup, all of Tustin Ranch goes to Beckman.

 

[graphrix_IHB]

Hey thanks for posting. I am a product of irvine and irvine schools (Alderwood, Rancho, Uni, then UCI), yes hardcore irvinite.

My wife and I are having a debate over Irvine or not. I believe that the schools and kids make a huge difference in their upbringing. Not to offend anyone but even between Uni and Irvine high there was a large disparity between the caliber of education and the general SES of the kids that went there. Hence I'm scared to even buy in Tustin Ranch where they would be sent off to Foothill high.

Given your experience in Aliso am I'm being too paranoid? Or are they valid concerns to have?

Please tell me you are not serious, and really you are just troll baiting here. TR feeds into Beckman. Anyone with kids (me not being one even knows this) feeds into Beckman. And Foothill has higher and increasing API scores, higher than Irvine high and with greater increases. I'd rather my kids (if I ever have any) go to Foothill, because the Irvine parents are paranoid nutters... How do you explain that to a kid? No... seriously, I want to know. You people are nuts. Focus on being a good parent, worry about the schools second. And for the love of freakin gawd... get out of Irvine more.

 

[bkshopr_IHB]

The overcrowding was the biggest issue. My son was very gifted in some subjects and asleep in others.

Dealing with staff was almost impossible. They were more concerned with him defending himself because he was

a martial arts student then anything else. He was suspended a couple of times when all he did was avoid a fight.

Now this is several years ago. My son is now 23. But his memory of that school is very poor. He said the staff and the police presence

was very intimidating. It was more an institution to house teenagers that a place of learning. He says he wasted his entire time there

except for a couple teachers and classes. The Capistrano School district is a disaster. Do some reading before sending your children to this district.

If you want them to learn about becoming institutionalized. Then go for it.

FYI:

He now works at a large Irvine Electronics Company in product development.

Hey thanks for posting. I am a product of irvine and irvine schools (Alderwood, Rancho, Uni, then UCI), yes hardcore irvinite.

My wife and I are having a debate over Irvine or not. I believe that the schools and kids make a huge difference in their upbringing. Not to offend anyone but even between Uni and Irvine high there was a large disparity between the caliber of education and the general SES of the kids that went there. Hence I'm scared to even buy in Tustin Ranch where they would be sent off to Foothill high.

Given your experience in Aliso am I'm being too paranoid? Or are they valid concerns to have?

I seldom would give a newbie a hard time but I have to agree with Graph. Having gone to Irvine Schools all your life and yet not knowing Tustin Ranch/Beckman High district is like not knowing 99 Ranch Market or the Obelisk at the Irvine Spectrum. How could you not know with all that Irvine education living in a such a small confined city of just a few square miles?

Seriously, you need to step out the boundary of your lily pad and touch some water.

Do you like 3 car garage?

 

[graphrix_IHB]

I love 3 car garage!

 

[ABC123_IHB]

Hey thanks for posting. I am a product of irvine and irvine schools (Alderwood, Rancho, Uni, then UCI), yes hardcore irvinite.

My wife and I are having a debate over Irvine or not. I believe that the schools and kids make a huge difference in their upbringing. Not to offend anyone but even between Uni and Irvine high there was a large disparity between the caliber of education and the general SES of the kids that went there. Hence I'm scared to even buy in Tustin Ranch where they would be sent off to Foothill high.

Given your experience in Aliso am I'm being too paranoid? Or are they valid concerns to have?

I went to Rancho too. Great School! To this day, I still have fond memories of my Social Studies class when the teacher was absent at least twice a week and all of the delinquents would rummage through his desk when there was a sub - quite a little mini liquor store in there. He was the best teacher because he never graded our work and would give you an A if you colored in the map nicely - it didn't matter if you you didn't know the difference between Texas and California. They're both big states, right?

 

[acpme_IHB]

I believe that the schools and kids make a huge difference in their upbringing. Not to offend anyone but even between Uni and Irvine high there was a large disparity between the caliber of education and the general SES of the kids that went there. Hence I'm scared to even buy in Tustin Ranch where they would be sent off to Foothill high.

How do you explain that to a kid? No… seriously, I want to know.

That is a great attitude to have, and especially for your kids to learn from their parents. Children should be re-affirmed with the FACT that living in Turtle Rock is the only acceptable form of living. Indeed, it has been proven that people who live down the hill (SCARY!) and "attend a non-Uni school don't have the same upbringing, socio-economic status, and caliber of education." [1]

[1] Wang, Jeremy, 2007. "Curse of the Flatlands: Does living north of Michelson make you dumber?" Journal of Educational Science, vol. 42, pp. 457-486.

God forbid they live outside Irvine itself and attend a school in some other city. Scared to think about Tustin Ranch? Oh, you should be. My head hurts just thinking about it! My children were not taught about the existence of the dark lands outside the Village boundaries, as I was afraid their young and naive curiosity would lead to unwise attempts at venturing into those areas.

 

[irvine_home_owner_IHB]

I love 3 car garage!

Copyright infringement!

 

[irvine_home_owner_IHB]

@lilypad:

Please don't be too offset by graph, bk and acpme's posts. Everyone has a right to their opinion and some people feel that certain areas has benefits over others.

You will find that other areas are not as bad as you may think but I understand why you may think that way. It works both ways, many people who grew up in Irvine can appreciate what the city offers, where others who grew up elsewhere don't see the difference. Personally... I think Irvine is as great now as it was over 20 years ago and I would hope to raise my family here and they would do the same. It's all relative... I have friends who love Carson... that's just how it goes.

Like bk, he is our resident Slumdog Trillionaire so he thinks anyone can rise up from the darkest ghetto and be successful... he forgets that he is the exception and not the rule. Whereas for graph... he's the rule... ghetto is what ghetto does (Heh!).

Welcome to the IHB and please don't let a bit of sardonicism keep you from posting your opinions here.

 

[bkshopr_IHB]

Now I know IHO is not the lone ranger. Don't be discouraged by the 3 amigos. We would love to hear your view points.

 

[bkshopr_IHB]

Parents would be disappointed to know that their kids attending Irvine schools is not an auto pilot recipe to success. It will gives them a false sense of security. Parents need to be active in the children's lives. So far we have seen a lot of book smart coming from the Irvine crops but few are really street smart to venture into the unfamiliar environment like west of the 55.

There is something that could not be taught in books. The enrichment of life experience and culture. One must leaves their nest to broaden their horizon. A 2 week trip to some water destinations is not considered as such. I encourage those nest bound get out more and post their experience here because I am getting bored of the reverberated posts.

Irvine has a lot to offer than just Costco, Best Buy and Target. For example take a hike or go visit the places featured in the Trivia posts except for the Musick facility of course. Get to know your own city first.

 

[kcmkane_IHB]

How do you explain that to a kid? No… seriously, I want to know.

I'm trying to figure out how to explain to my kid that she better get used to those gates around the TUSD schools, because she'll probably end up in prison because of our sorry 92602 zip code. I only hope she can make it as far as Beckman, because I hear that most of the kids coming out of Pioneer MS go straight to juvenile hall.

 

[bkshopr_IHB]

How do you explain that to a kid? No… seriously, I want to know.

I'm trying to figure out how to explain to my kid that she better get used to those gates around the TUSD schools, because she'll probably end up in prison because of our sorry 92602 zip code. I only hope she can make it as far as Beckman, because I hear that most of the kids coming out of Pioneer MS go straight to juvenile hall.

Hey you there can you adjust the hidden camara lense I secretly placed in Cal Pac Ivywood kitchen during framing. The food Mrs. CK was cooking looks delicious but I could not get a good close up to view the ingredients.

 

[kcmkane_IHB]

cooking looks delicious but I could not get a good close up to view the ingredients.

In that case, I'm pretty sure that camera is not in our house.

*don't tell her I said that*

 

[traceimage_IHB]

The overcrowding was the biggest issue. My son was very gifted in some subjects and asleep in others.

Dealing with staff was almost impossible. They were more concerned with him defending himself because he was

a martial arts student then anything else. He was suspended a couple of times when all he did was avoid a fight.

Now this is several years ago. My son is now 23. But his memory of that school is very poor. He said the staff and the police presence

was very intimidating. It was more an institution to house teenagers that a place of learning. He says he wasted his entire time there

except for a couple teachers and classes. The Capistrano School district is a disaster. Do some reading before sending your children to this district.

If you want them to learn about becoming institutionalized. Then go for it.

FYI:

He now works at a large Irvine Electronics Company in product development.

Hey thanks for posting. I am a product of irvine and irvine schools (Alderwood, Rancho, Uni, then UCI), yes hardcore irvinite.

My wife and I are having a debate over Irvine or not. I believe that the schools and kids make a huge difference in their upbringing. Not to offend anyone but even between Uni and Irvine high there was a large disparity between the caliber of education and the general SES of the kids that went there. Hence I'm scared to even buy in Tustin Ranch where they would be sent off to Foothill high.

Given your experience in Aliso am I'm being too paranoid? Or are they valid concerns to have?

Good schools *are* important, but it's not Irvine or nothing. Irvine does have good schools, but it's not the only place that does. Lots of cities in OC have good schools. And also, it depends what you mean by "good schools" anyway...do you mean high test scores? Good college acceptance rates? A low incidence of behavioral problems? A certain desired ethnic balance?

A kid can do well at any decent school. Going to the best school on earth doesn't guarantee success in life. And it can actually create more problems, because you have to deal with crazy parents pressuring their kids to be 3 years ahead in math or whatever. I think a kid needs time to be a kid. They don't need to feel academic pressure when they're 8. Just my opinion. My son is likely going to start out in Irvine schools when he's old enough, but if it's too much of a pressure-cooker, I'll move to a different district if necessary.

For what it's worth, I've actually heard that Aliso Niguel is a good high school.

 

[bltserv_IHB]

I had to put up with this stinker of a school as a parent for 4 years.

Unless you have 1st hand knowledge making an opinion is somwhat useless.

Here is a review on GreatsSchools.com that I agree with about Aliso Niguel High.

"Stay away. It does not deserve its reputation. I have two children attending and I am very unimpressed. The teachers say they care but their actions do not match their words. Very few are ever available before or after school for help. They actually had to schedule a tutorial period during the day to give the children a chance to meet with the teachers. Also, they have this terrible thing called 'minimum day' where they get their funding because they keep the children until just past the noon deadline, then let them out at 12:30. The day is counted as a full day, but the students do not get the benefit of a full day. And all to get to go home early. What a racquet. I have promised my children I wouldn't move again, but what a mistake. Do not start your children here if you can avoid it".

 

[bkshopr_IHB]

The overcrowding was the biggest issue. My son was very gifted in some subjects and asleep in others.

Dealing with staff was almost impossible. They were more concerned with him defending himself because he was

a martial arts student then anything else. He was suspended a couple of times when all he did was avoid a fight.

Now this is several years ago. My son is now 23. But his memory of that school is very poor. He said the staff and the police presence

was very intimidating. It was more an institution to house teenagers that a place of learning. He says he wasted his entire time there

except for a couple teachers and classes. The Capistrano School district is a disaster. Do some reading before sending your children to this district.

If you want them to learn about becoming institutionalized. Then go for it.

FYI:

He now works at a large Irvine Electronics Company in product development.

Hey thanks for posting. I am a product of irvine and irvine schools (Alderwood, Rancho, Uni, then UCI), yes hardcore irvinite.

My wife and I are having a debate over Irvine or not. I believe that the schools and kids make a huge difference in their upbringing. Not to offend anyone but even between Uni and Irvine high there was a large disparity between the caliber of education and the general SES of the kids that went there. Hence I'm scared to even buy in Tustin Ranch where they would be sent off to Foothill high.

Given your experience in Aliso am I'm being too paranoid? Or are they valid concerns to have?

Good schools *are* important, but it's not Irvine or nothing. Irvine does have good schools, but it's not the only place that does. Lots of cities in OC have good schools. And also, it depends what you mean by "good schools" anyway...do you mean high test scores? Good college acceptance rates? A low incidence of behavioral problems? A certain desired ethnic balance?

A kid can do well at any decent school. Going to the best school on earth doesn't guarantee success in life. And it can actually create more problems, because you have to deal with crazy parents pressuring their kids to be 3 years ahead in math or whatever. I think a kid needs time to be a kid. They don't need to feel academic pressure when they're 8. Just my opinion. My son is likely going to start out in Irvine schools when he's old enough, but if it's too much of a pressure-cooker, I'll move to a different district if necessary.

For what it's worth, I've actually heard that Aliso Niguel is a good high school.

Along Jeffrey the new business park offers many academic and extracurricular subject enhancement schools. Chinese parents thought the Irvine Schools are not hard and discipline enough for their children. After regular schools the kids attend mental math courses, short cut to arithmetic courses, PSAT classes, Princeton review courses, AP subject reviews, piano classes and etc. from 4-7pm everyday day and weekends. Chinese kids attend summer school at the Chinese Cultural center to learn their next year curriculum.

Parents buy their homes in specific school districts and many have already planned to moving to Fullerton's Troy district for their kids high school. A full set of AP study books and college prep books are the wonderful Christmas gifts Chinese kids love.

If your kids are not ready to accept that 1/2 of the class are already trained and drilled with GPA of 4.5 then as parents better start teaching them about self esteem fast.

 

[irvine_home_owner_IHB]

Top of the chaff or bottom of the cream?

Personally... I prefer to struggle to the top than to languish there.