Patch Blog: The MUSD Brain Drain

I am an unabashed fan of MUSD.  They are there for the kids, most certainly they were there for my kids.  MUSD is pretty terrific at tailoring kids to teachers in the elementary years then getting them in the right classes to challenge them at a level they are capable of performing in once they hit middle and high school.

What frustrates me though is the number of kids, mostly on the gifted side where the parents don't utilize all the resources available in MUSD and opt out for private schools.  As an example, of 9 kids on my little street that are eligible for , only 3 are actually there.  In talking with the parents I get a variety of explanations why they aren't at MHS and my usual responses.

• They feel curriculum is sub par...never mind that there is GATE, Honors and Pre-AP/AP level classes to challenge the smartest of child.
• Extracurricular activities are lacking...seriously, haven't you paid attention to how busy the MHS kids are on the street with this stuff?
• No Sports...actually we have plenty, and in spite of the talent drain are quite competitive, witness the we've garnered.
• Class sizes are too big...well it hasn't always been that way and private HS that I've seen aren't that much smaller until you get into the specialized classes.
• Campuses are aging or falling apart...Seen the new High School buildings or been on one of the campuses lately (answer usually is never have been).
• Gang Violence on the Middle/High School campuses...really?  
• There are tensions just like in the community but it isn't a daily brawl as rumor would have it.
• Low Test scores...actually we score quite well.  Overall scores are dragged down by the amount of kids being drained off to private schools. When you remove the ESL learners, our scores are actually very good.
• Not a Christian environment...the kids are all good at heart, society as a whole is represented in the diversity of the kids at MUSD schools and that will better prepare a child for life once school is done with.

What if anything can be done to get these kids back into the MUSD system is my question. Certainly more of these kids in private school would benefit MUSD schools as much as they will benefit from the experience. What say you?