Best schools in charleston south carolina?

Where are the best schools or school districts in charleston south carolina?

What about the Arts school in North Charleston? They call it a "magnet" public school and you have to apply to it. It gets rave reviews in some other sites that rate schools.

Most people prefer District 2 schools in Charleston SC

www.searchcharlestonhomes.com/

I agree with Bob, private school is the way to go. I live in Dorchester District 2 and my son still goes to private school. Not too impressed with being one of the best schools in a state ranking so poorly in education overall.

rooart@maine.rr.com in Cumberland Center, Maine said: What about the Arts school in North Charleston? They call it a "magnet" public school and you have to apply to it. It gets rave reviews in some other sites that rate schools.

That is the part of the problem. They have "solved" the school problem in Charleston by setting up a bunch of magnets that not everyone can get into. You usually have to lotto into these or test in or both (or just play power politics if you have the money and connections!). Instead of fixing the real underlying problem that has existed in South Carolina since the beginning of time, de facto segregation (both racial and economic). South Carolina, and especially Charleston, is a town of haves and have nots, and they like it this way. Why else would we have someone like Sanford as our governor? Ultimately, S.C. needs to be remade, rebranded, and recreated, or it will continue to be the laughing stock of the US for years to come. This is coming from a die hard Southerner with deep roots in the Carolinas.

Getting your kids through the public school system in Charleston is like walking through a minefield. There are very few decent choices, so one false step and their education gets blown to pieces. As far as private schools go, Charleston has a very entrenched class system, so the best private schools are very snobbish. They also contain many semi-deginerate kids from old Charleston families who are snorting cocaine by the eighth grade. I'm not familiar with some of the smaller private schools. They are probably not as snobbish, but I can't vouch for their academic standards.

Charleston is slowly changing with the influx of middle class people from other parts of the country who know that good public schools are possible. Unfortunately, the old guard is still in power and fights any sign of real innovation in the schools. Maybe in 20 or 30 years, there will be a decent school system in Charleston, but I would be very careful about sending kids there now.

And by the way, I'm a Charleston native, not a transplant. I was a gifted and talented student who went to both public and private schools. Luckily I made it through the minefield, but I saw a lot of things along the way I hope my own children won't have to suffer through.

rooart@maine.rr.com in Cumberland Center, Maine said: What about the Arts school in North Charleston? They call it a "magnet" public school and you have to apply to it. It gets rave reviews in some other sites that rate schools.

The Arts school...? I believe it's Charleston Magnet, and yes it was listed as a top 10 school in the country by Newsweek. There are good schools in SC...those "dumb rocks" don't fall far from their dumb trees either.

have never sent kids to school here, but was told when I moved here that dorchester county district 2 was the best.

tattiet in Summerville, South Carolina said: have never sent kids to school here, but was told when I moved here that dorchester county district 2 was the best.

We transplanted from Ohio. Just in the first half of the year we have had MANY bullying issues and even problems w/ kids in the neighborhood who just do not know any better. We are in the Dorchester II schools and I can hardly wait to get them out. Will try Mt. P public or private school only.

Dorchester 2 are good but overcrowded. The best schools in the area are in Mount Pleasant. The School of The Arts and the Academic Magnet are both excellent and are audition or test only for admittance.

Yep...same Bob as before. So...basically the conclusion is, send your kids to private school, or if you cannot afford that, then don't move here. It really is that simple...

Unfortunately, most of the private schools also FAIL because of the snobbishness, which is brought to a new art form in Charleston. Southern hospitality my ass, this is a "stab you in the back if you don't fit the country-club model" kind of place. You know, the kind of people who live for having their pictures published in the "society" section of the paper and hiding their viperous ways behind their donations to good causes.

You could gamble on one of the "magnets" but I'm not a gambling man.

We have had the best luck with the Catholic private school offerings. I am not a religious person, they just have more real people and good kids. Also, they are a little better with diversity with the Latino population being included. Also, you can achieve a better sense of community, even if you don't drink the Kool-aid.

Bob in Charleston, South Carolina said:
We have had the best luck with the Catholic private school offerings. .

P.S. Replying to my own post. The academics at said Catholic schools are adequate but the community is exceptional. I take the philosophy that an excellent academic education is 80% promoted and realized within the home and 20% at school. For me, the character aspects of the school environment are paramount.

Here is the low down TRUTH! People do not want to send their kid to a school with a high black population, because schools in charleston with a high black population have neighborhoods where there is a higher rate of poverty. You can check any statistic. Any area that is high in poverty = GANG activity. Gang activity brings in guns, drugs, violence, and any other criminal activity. No I'm NOT racist, it is just a fact. You can say that there is gang activity in every school, but it doesn't change the fact that it is true. Who wants to send their kid to a school where they can be hurt.

Bob in North Charleston, South Carolina said: None of them. You have to send your kids to private school unless you want them to be as dumb as rocks. Don't move here if you have to send your kids to public schools!!!

Why don't you look up Academic Magnet.

Charleston County in the past has had terrible public schools, but they have recently made huge improvements. Your best bets for public schools are Charleston County School of the Arts (grades 6-12) and Academic Magnet (grades 9-12). Both schools are by audition only.

Do people actually read the previous comments before adding to the discussion? That would really help!!!! Like how we already discussed the idea that magnet schools are not the answer!

jd in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina said: Why don't you look up Academic Magnet.

Why don't you look at the previous discussion regarding magnets and why they are not the answer to public education in SC?

Maybe Bob, other people have different perspectives. This isn't all about what Bob thinks. This is a public forum. There is no need to be rude.

Charleston County Public School Student in Johns Island, South Carolina said: Maybe Bob, other people have different perspectives. This isn't all about what Bob thinks. This is a public forum. There is no need to be rude.

Reality is rude! The schools here suck and all of our kids are suffering for it. The fault rests squarely on the deep and pervasive southern culture of anti-intellectualism and the consistent idolatry of ignorance and brutishness. We need to move beyond the platitudes and get up in the face of this problem or SC will continue to sink deeper into the rotten quagmire that marks its entire history. Sorry. It just makes me mad. I want people to hear this and be forewarned before we create another generation of Southern mediocrity.

Bob in Charleston, South Carolina said: Reality is rude! The schools here suck and all of our kids are suffering for it. The fault rests squarely on the deep and pervasive southern culture of anti-intellectualism and the consistent idolatry of ignorance and brutishness. We need to move beyond the platitudes and get up in the face of this problem or SC will continue to sink deeper into the rotten quagmire that marks its entire history. Sorry. It just makes me mad. I want people to hear this and be forewarned before we create another generation of Southern mediocrity.

Wow...you sound like a 'progressive' intellectual. Hate those Southerners, don't ya? Happy to oblige. I actually enjoy pi$$ing you guys off. Progression for the sake of progression is intellectualism, right? Anything traditional and old-fashioned is downright evil? OK to destroy unwanted children who will never have a chance, but let's rehabilitate the hardened criminals who keep committing crimes over and over? I can tell your a flaming liberal...the same kind we don't want around Charleston. Why don't you move back to NYC or whatever crime-ridden ****hole you came from and stop trying to ruin the South. We never wanted you here anyway.

rtsmith in Summerville, South Carolina said: Wow...you sound like a 'progressive' intellectual. Hate those Southerners, don't ya? Happy to oblige. I actually enjoy pi$$ing you guys off. Progression for the sake of progression is intellectualism, right? Anything traditional and old-fashioned is downright evil? OK to destroy unwanted children who will never have a chance, but let's rehabilitate the hardened criminals who keep committing crimes over and over? I can tell your a flaming liberal...the same kind we don't want around Charleston. Why don't you move back to NYC or whatever crime-ridden ****hole you came from and stop trying to ruin the South. We never wanted you here anyway.

There it is!! Great to hear the final gasps of the old south echoing in the present. Emphasis on final and old. Don't worry folks it'll be gone soon, drowned out in only a couple of quick generations. Thank God and thoughtful humanity.

By the way, I'm a local, my family and I just never bought the crap y'all were selling.

rtsmith in Summerville, South Carolina said: Wow...you sound like a 'progressive' intellectual. Hate those Southerners, don't ya? Happy to oblige. I actually enjoy pi$$ing you guys off. Progression for the sake of progression is intellectualism, right? Anything traditional and old-fashioned is downright evil? OK to destroy unwanted children who will never have a chance, but let's rehabilitate the hardened criminals who keep committing crimes over and over? I can tell your a flaming liberal...the same kind we don't want around Charleston. Why don't you move back to NYC or whatever crime-ridden ****hole you came from and stop trying to ruin the South. We never wanted you here anyway.

There it is!! Great to hear the final gasps of the old south echoing in the present. Emphasis on final and old. Don't worry folks it'll be gone soon, drowned out in only a couple of quick generations. Thank God and thoughtful humanity.

By the way, I'm a local, my family and I just never bought what y'all were selling.

Bob in Charleston, South Carolina said: There it is!! Great to hear the final gasps of the old south echoing in the present. Emphasis on final and old. Don't worry folks it'll be gone soon, drowned out in only a couple of quick generations. Thank God and thoughtful humanity.

By the way, I'm a local, my family and I just never bought what y'all were selling.

"Final gasps of the South?" Boy, you Yanks have been waiting for that for a century and a half. Guess what? We're still here. You won the war and got to write the history books, but you can't change freedom of thought until you manage to put chips in our heads. Now THAT'S what is probably only a "couple of quick generations" away. But you have managed to censor our speech with your so-called 'hate speech' laws. You ARE Big Brother. There is no difference. Why don't you take a look forward a little more and stop thinking all of your problems lie with the past or, more specifically, that somehow poor, uneducated white people are ruining your country?? What are we going to do when we all live in exactly the same kinds of houses, make exactly the same amount of money, never say anything or do anything offensive to anyone, are all the same color because one color might be viewed as more attractive or desirable than another, have all of our children bred via test tubes or cloning because sex is demeaning to women, have our children educated by state schools because we're not responsible enough to raise them in society's best interest, etc., etc., etc.? Won't we just be machines then (back to the brain chips above)? What happens to free will then? Old South? You bet. I'm raising my children to fight you and yours, and their children will continue to fight you. We're not going anywhere, carpetbagger.

Bob's Dad in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina said: "What happens to free will then? Old South? You bet. I'm raising my children to fight you and yours, and their children will continue to fight you. We're not going anywhere, carpetbagger.

Again...I am a Southern native of many generations, so I'm not going back to where I came from, I'm just staying right here where I have always been. Not that it really matters, that is the sort of "rah, rah, go team" boosterism that got us all in this whole mess in the first place. Notice the militaristic "us vs. them" mentality that pervades?

Just not everyone here thinks like you do, little daddy. Most real Southerners are not bigoted xenophobes like yourself. We are citizens of the world and we care that our children grow up with a wider perspectives than just those in our little "holler". "Heritage not Hate" is a favorite phrase of the Old South apologists. I like to say "Heritage = Hate". Move on into the modern world, bury that flag.

Wow, Bob...why do people like you have such a fear of Southern heritage? You all keep supporting the notion that the South is full of bigots as though somehow the rest of the U.S. is completely void of <insert left-wing whine of the day> - ism. You love claiming the Civil War was about slavery every chance you can get in order to gain support from every corner of the globe just so you can crush the conservative belief system (of which the South is a stronghold). Nevermind that less than 1/4th of Southerners even owned slaves...NO, that's just excuse-making, right? Nevermind that it's the truth. The war couldn't have had anything to do with the aristocracy of the North being uncomfortable with the money and power that the plantation owners in the South were gaining with the prevalent cash crop and cheap/free labor? Hmmm...peasants forced into indentured servitude in England by the aristocrats, migrated to the New World to become land owners, had slaves sold to them as cheap labor by the same 'merchant' class from England, and put those slaves to work in the same caste-type system from which they came. Gee...how could that have ever happened? It must be that Southerners are just inherently evil, right? Couldn't have anything to do with 'class' discrimination, could it? Do I deny that racism exists in the South? No. But I refuse to believe that the poor white Southern people had any influence in the Civil War whatsoever. The fact is that most white Southerners could not afford slaves and, because of their Christian values, many did not agree with owning them. The Civil War was between the wealthy Northern politicians and the wealthy Southern politicians. It was always about distribution of wealth--never slavery. Unfortunately, whoever wins the war gets to write the history books. With all that said, I am neither religious nor conservative. I am sick, however, of all of the Southern bashing. Why don't you have a look at yourself, Benedict?

In reading many of these comments, I am surprised that so many fail to look beyond the popular media "trash the schools" line . In such a large area, you should certainly expect to find schools at both ends of the effectiveness spectrum. In the greater Charleston area, there over 88,000 students in 136 schools. Another 11,200 students are enrolled in one of Charleston's 75 private and parochial schools. Yes, we have the bad. We also have a LOT of good - even some VERY GOOD. In order to understand how we are doing here, you need to have a way of comparing our schools to other schools. Contrary to popular perception, SC has very high standards for education. This is a fact not an opinion. It is difficult to compare schools among states because each state has flexibility in how it tests (as mandated by "No child Left Behind" current legislation enacted under George W. Bush). SC Has chosen unusually rigorous self-assessment which far exceeds most states' program demands. That is, we are tougher on how we test compared to most states - fact not opinion again. Read on. The following link is to an article that shows how states rank with each other in testing "toughness". educationnext.org/keeping-an-eye-on-state-standards/ . The authors of this article mention several points to consider. " Best of all, a handful of states continued to impress for a second consecutive year, grading their own performance on a particularly tough curve. Massachusetts, South Carolina, Wyoming, Maine, and Missouri all once again earned As." States with nearly equally embarrassing D minuses included Mississippi, Georgia, and North Carolina. Once again, we discover that Suzy could be a good reader in North Carolina, where standards are low, but a failure in neighboring South Carolina, where standards are higher."This region has been very aggressive about building new schools (Cane Bay Elementary, Cane Bay High, Eagle's Nest Elementary, Laurel Hill Elementary, School of the Arts, As

(Continued) Quite a few schools in Charleston County are among the very best in the state and in the nation as well. Here are a few:
- Dorchester School District Two was selected by Money magazine as one of the top 100 school districts in the nation. In the recent few years, five schools in Dorchester District Two have been named, "Palmetto's Finest" ( an annual award given to the school recognized as being the very best of all schools in South Carolina) and three have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools. - Charleston Academic Magnet High School (highest SATs in SC) : "#1 Magnet High School in the US" (2010) out of 12,786 public schools rated by U.S. News, 2009 / Newsweek Magazine ranks AMHS 7th in the nation. US News Ranks Academic Magnet HS #12 in the nation - received Gold Medal (2009)- Charleston County School of the Arts (second highest SATs in SC) - Silver Medal - US News
As to that rigorous state testing I spoke of, this year, 22 Charleston County elementary and middle schools rated "excellent" or "good". Ten of the Berkeley's 34 primary, elementary and middle schools had an "excellent" rating; six had a "good" rating. For Dorchester District II, 7 of the district's 17 elementary and middle schools earned an "excellent" rating; seven had a "good" rating; and three had an "average" rating. None of the district's elementary and middle schools earned "below average" or "at-risk" ratings. I am a businessman with kids in public school. I have lived in the area for 25 years and have seen a steady improvement in the quality of education in our area, year after year. If my view is not strong enough to convince you that we are doing just fine, would you trust the research of corporate America? Among the primary considerations of major corporations when selecting an area to locate are the local school systems and the educational readiness of the work force. Are ALL of the following corporations just plain wrong about Charleston? Probably not.

(Continued) - Google, Boeing, Robert Bosch, Blackbaud, Verizon, Nucor Steel, Alcoa, Caterpillar, KapStone Paper, Global Aeronautica, Force Protection and AT&T. They did their research. Maybe more of your readers should turn off channels 2, 4, and 5 do their homework as well.

Jazz in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina said: (Continued) - Google, Boeing, Robert Bosch, Blackbaud, Verizon, Nucor Steel, Alcoa, Caterpillar, KapStone Paper, Global Aeronautica, Force Protection and AT&T. They did their research. Maybe more of your readers should turn off channels 2, 4, and 5 do their homework as well.

Ok, Jazz, that was a nice long, but ultimately desparate and over-reaching, attempt to smooth over the school problems here. Let me take your last point first. 90% of the professional jobs available at said corporate entities are brought in from the outside, and only the warm body jobs are left. They don't care if those people are the product of a shoddy educational system, as long as they will accept a lower, non-unionized, wage. Let's get real, they are here because of non-unionized labor, low taxes, cheap land, and lax environmental laws.

As far as your many other points regarding school improvement, most of your stats, not all, were bounded by what is happening in our state. There is always room for improvement when you're coming from the bottom! The stats that were highlighting our performance against national standards are extreme outliers and are available to only a tiny percentage of our students.

"Three states—Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Missouri—have established world-class standards in math and reading as the goal for all students. Every other state has established a lower proficiency standard..." educationnext.org/few-states-set-worldclass-standards/

I have no personal interest in promoting the schools. My children have done well in the public schools. I recognize that there is a lot of variation among the schools. It does beg the question, "why?". I believe that most of our schools provide good opportunities. Opportunities do not guarantee. Educational outcomes hinge on many things. Don't simply blame the teachers - that's way too easy. The vast majority of area teachers attend the same small pool of colleges. They are all certified using set standards. All are reasonably well educated with bachelor's degrees - about 1/2 have masters degrees. A few even have PHDs and still teach in the classroom. "Bad" teachers are not somehow relegated to poor performing schools nor are "good" teachers sent to high performing schools. So what makes the difference between high performing and low performing schools?

Consider where the best performing schools, and the worst performers. The correlation between SES and test scores is crystal clear. The schools are there to provide the opportunities. Curing the disparities that lie beyond the control of the classroom walls is an unrealistic expectation. Until all students show up ready, with solid parental support from informed parents, from a supportive pro-education community, we will continue to have a wide spectrum of performance among our schools. We have the standards in place - tough standards. We have many great schools and we will have even more.

Wow, all of the anger that is very discouraging. The simple fact that I wanted to Google recommendations for where I can send my son to school. I was better off just visiting the schools myself and using my own knowledge from growing up in Charleston. These "OPINIONS" expressed here are part of the reason progression is almost impossible in this country. Everyone that has a huge problem with the way things are ran never have a solution or does not want to contribute to fixing the issue. Cheer up folks, life is too short. I think the responses here are not personal attacks on any one individual just a snapshot of their experience with the system, nothing more.

Thanks for those comments. Yes, throwing stones never does a lot to fix an issue. There are good schools in the area as well as some that are less than good. This is a similar to most areas of the country. There area that perform better than SC does - but, they are using different testing instruments so take caution when drawing broad conclusions.
It takes a little research to ensure you are helping your kids get into the right schools anywhere - including in SC. As a parent, choosing the right location to buy/rent is critical. The good school choices are available here in the Greater Charleston Area; but, it may take more than blind faith to get your child where they need to be. Parents must accept the responsibility for choosing the right schools. They do that by choosing where to live. If you choose to live in an area where you may not be happy with the schools, when better alternatives are available nearby (those other schools are very easy to identify), don't complain. Do the research FIRST before you choose where to live.
The sad fact continues that school performance is highly correlated to the income level of the parents. This will never change. Schools are limited, regardless of dedication and expertise of teachers or grandeur of facilities, to the range of strengths of their students - and contributions of the parents. Some students are simply better prepared and better supported. These tend to be from homes where parents are better educated and more affluent. Pick any school in the area, look at the correlation between free/reduced lunch and test performance then draw your own conclusions. SC has a lot of poor/lower income people. As long as people here struggle economically, the schools will struggle. In the affluent areas of town, such as Mt Pleasant, Daniel Island, Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island, etc., the schools will continue to outperform.

Here is some encouraging news: even for students who come from less affluent areas, motivation and dedication at home can do a lot to overcome other issues. Consider SOA (Charleston County School of the Arts) for example. Students audition, not based on academics as is the case with the Academic Magnet School, but based on artistic talents. Many come from poor homes. Shockingly, their academic performance ranks #2 in the state - right behind academic Magnet! Why? Motivated parents pushing motivated kids - all with a particular arts focus. These kids have an anchor to the school ( a personal "buy in" if you will) via their art interest and have a consequential inclusion into a specialized social group of similar minded kids. They love going to school - and working hard. But, perhaps a bigger factor, they have driven parents - poor and affluent and everywhere in-between - who care enough to help their kids develop talents in advance of application and who help their kids apply. Obviously, such motivated parents will/do continue to push and support through the six years at that school (grades 6-12). That make all the difference. Are the teachers highly trained or specialized any more than any other school in Charleston County? Of course not.
So, you have two choices as I see it. First, choose to live around affluent people - or choose be highly motivated and exceptionally involved with your student's educational experience (or both). Students from this area do go to Ivy league schools - they become doctors, lawyers, engineers, military officers and other professions - and most get their start in our lowly public schools. The opportunities are here. Without meaning to sound offensive... just parent up, please.

In 2011 Six Charleston County high schools were honored with a Palmetto Gold or Silver award: Garrett Academy of Technology, Wando High, Military Magnet Academy, Charleston School of the Arts, Academic Magnet High, and James Island Charter High.

In 2011, 21 Berkeley County elementary and middle schools have just been recognized with Palmetto Gold and Palmetto Silver awards.

Palmetto Gold: Cainhoy Elementary/Middle; Hanahan Middle; Westview Middle; Westview Elementary; Mar­irington Middle School of the Arts; Howe Hall AIMS Elementary; Macedonia Middle; Devon Forest Elementary; Berkeley Intermediate; Hanahan Elementary; and Daniel Island School. Palmetto Silver: Cross El­ementary; Henry E. Bonner Elementary; Whitesville Ele­mentary; J.K. Gourdin Elemen­tary; Marrington Elementary; Sangaree Intermediate; Sanga­ree Middle; Sedgefield Inter­mediate; Westview Primary; and Cane Bay Elementary. Palmetto Gold (Closing the Achievement Gap): Marrington Middle School of the Arts; Howe Hall. AIMS Elementary; and Sangaree Intermediate. Palmetto Silver (Closing the Achievement Gap): Hanahan Middle; Westview. Middle; Westview Elementary; Mace­donia Middle; Devon Forest Elementary; Berkeley Intermediate; Hanahan Elementary; and Sangaree Middle.

Thank you all for the positive feedback. I just felt if someone was looking to relocate to Charleston, alot of what was said might be discouraging to certain folks. I was born and raised in Goose Creek, I do not have "old charleston money." I have been fortunate enough to have moved around a bit and it has allowed me to be more open minded than other individuals. I just question how certain people can be so negative about the city they reside. You can bet that once my son is enrolled I will be very proactive in the management of the school board and their decisions. But thank you so much for the recommendations.

Best wishes - you are on the right track. We live in a time when people would rather blame anything but their own lack of effort. Parents need to wake up and take charge. We live in one of the most beautiful, well managed areas you will find anywhere, in the greatest country in history. People who live here just need to do their part in a positive, productive way. And of course, if any can find a true Nirvana someplace else, by all means, move.

We need the room for all of the good people who have discovered Charleston and are planning the move here very soon. I guess the recent WSJ article about Charleston being a top city for net brain gain - must be true! (Wall Street Journal - Charleston ranked #1 metro area with the biggest growth in percentage of people with college degrees).

If you are looking for a nice Catholic School I recommend The Charleston Catholic School. I have been sending my daughter there for the last 5 years and she loves it there. It goes from K5 to 8th grade. Hope this helped, bye!!!!