Top 10 cities with the most affordable homes, according to a new report from Deutsche Bank.
ATLANTA
ORLANDO
ROCHESTER, NY
CLEVELAND, OH
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
What School Do You Go To?
I am writing this a little ill at ease and really not sure how I feel about this topic. I am talking about "online high schools" or rather, Forsyth County’s iAchieve Virtual Academy, an online school. Don't get me wrong, I had my share of high school drama and NO, I would never want to repeat those years, but the key word here is "repeat" meaning, "do again"...because I did have the experience once. I am not sure these kids are really getting that and will they regret it someday? I don't know. The same can be said for home-schooled kids but do we really want to go there?
Anyhow - here is the news: Currently, about 7,000 Georgia students are enrolled in full-time online programs. When school begins again in August, six full-time campuses will deliver online classes rooted in the Georgia Performance Standards curriculum. Most will offer free enrollment statewide. Among the schools' likely clients are Georgia's home school market, which has grown by nearly 8 percent since 2007 to 42,474 students this school year. They represent about 2.6 percent of Georgia's K-12 students.
Forsyth County Schools launched iAchieve last fall as the state's first virtual local high school. The online campus has about 130 students, with just 30 percent of whom were home-schooled. A few others residing outside Forsyth pay $3,000 in tuition for classes. Some of the kids use this system from overseas, if their parents take a job in another country but want to maintain their Forsyth County eduction.
Georgia Cyber Academy, another such school, has received 1,500 applications from parents who want flexible schedules for their kids. I can see this being very good for promising athletes that need to devote many hours a day to training in their sport.
The academy began classes in 2007 with 2,500 students, 45 percent of whom were home-schooling. Matt Arkin, head of school, said parents are attracted to it because their kids can work at their own pace. Ten percent of the students take gifted courses. Special needs services also are provided. This fall, Advanced Placement courses and classes in foreign language, music and art will be added to the curriculum.
But wait, where is the football team, the debate team, the clubs and cafeteria? Times are changing and along with it are options that we never dreamed of back in the 80's when we were obsessed with Duran Duran and passing notes.
What do you think?
Anyhow - here is the news: Currently, about 7,000 Georgia students are enrolled in full-time online programs. When school begins again in August, six full-time campuses will deliver online classes rooted in the Georgia Performance Standards curriculum. Most will offer free enrollment statewide. Among the schools' likely clients are Georgia's home school market, which has grown by nearly 8 percent since 2007 to 42,474 students this school year. They represent about 2.6 percent of Georgia's K-12 students.
Forsyth County Schools launched iAchieve last fall as the state's first virtual local high school. The online campus has about 130 students, with just 30 percent of whom were home-schooled. A few others residing outside Forsyth pay $3,000 in tuition for classes. Some of the kids use this system from overseas, if their parents take a job in another country but want to maintain their Forsyth County eduction.
Georgia Cyber Academy, another such school, has received 1,500 applications from parents who want flexible schedules for their kids. I can see this being very good for promising athletes that need to devote many hours a day to training in their sport.
The academy began classes in 2007 with 2,500 students, 45 percent of whom were home-schooling. Matt Arkin, head of school, said parents are attracted to it because their kids can work at their own pace. Ten percent of the students take gifted courses. Special needs services also are provided. This fall, Advanced Placement courses and classes in foreign language, music and art will be added to the curriculum.
But wait, where is the football team, the debate team, the clubs and cafeteria? Times are changing and along with it are options that we never dreamed of back in the 80's when we were obsessed with Duran Duran and passing notes.
What do you think?
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Mansion in Foreclosure
If you live or work in South Forsyth, you probably are familiar with the mega mansion that was completed in 2006 on Trammel Rd between Windermere and Hwy 20. The home-site boasts a four-acre lake, 72 acres that include an 18-hole private golf course, a statue of Alexander the Great, a 10-car garage that also serves as a ballroom, a wellness center, dry sauna with 42-inch television, a lap resistance and a leisure pool, a home theater modeled after the Fox Theater, two playgrounds and a vegetable garden. In the 47,000 square feet of living space, there are also two elevators, a bowling alley, a ‘50s diner, 10 fireplaces and a guesthouse with a three-car garage. In addition, the gated and secured property has three stables, jogging trails, a virtual golf room that mimics golf courses from all over and so much more.
So what do you think the asking price is? You got it - NOT $50 million as was previously, but a fraction of that at $16.75 million in foreclosure. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, someone with money to spend is going to get a great deal. On the other, I think it is a shame such a beautiful and extravagant place is sitting empty because the owner could not pay for it. Is this a symbol of our overindulged society?
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Cumming - A College Town?
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Also at the site, which overlooks Sawnee Mountain, will be the $15 million Cumming Aquatic Center, expected to open in the summer of 2012.
City officials and residents are very excited about this. It should bring in employment opportunities and give our youth a place for higher learning, closer to home.
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