Ramiro Garcia

Heather, how is the survey coming along? any status updates? Just curious here in Atlanta. Thanks! - Mon May 12 2008, 14:18

Thanks Lee for the pat on the back regarding our involvement with education here in the greater Grant Park area and specifically with our great Charter Schools. The Grant Park neighborhood has been on the forefront with education with it's true grass-roots efforts in local Charter Schools. As founding parents of the Neighborhood Charter School and the Grant Park Cooperative Preschool and current parent of the Atlanta Charter Middle School - we've been determined to stay in Grant Park and not having to move because our kids reach a certain grade. There is also a new Imagine Wesley Charter School South of Grant Park on Custer which has a wide attraction to families through-out Atlanta. I have links to these schools on my web-site for informational use. Thanks! The power of community is powerful! - Mon Mar 31 2008, 17:28

Karen, what's a "Kiddie Condo" ? you questions are not very clear. Is the house a multi-family? duplex?
You realize that Grant Park is zoned Historic. So, work done to the property needs to be permitted and approved by the Urban Design Commission (UDC) of Atlanta. Most contractors know this and have additional 'work' involved with this..... so it might not be 'cheap. hope this helps. - Mon May 12 2008, 13:59

The Spring Fling should be fun! Looking forward to it! Maybe there should be a challenge with Grant Park's that same day to see how many kids we can get out to the park's official events? ;-) - Mon May 5 2008, 10:37

Glad to hear about all the local support and the possible expansion of the pre-k program at Toomer.
It's quite interesting, as many of the same Intown families are familiar withh Coan and Toomer based on soccer games that many of their kids play with AYSA soccer. Of course, there is the new soccer complex off Arizona and right down the street from the schools. You might be on to something, but careful if you ever want to list property in Lake Claire ;-)

Why does APS have the Inman zoning to include the Howell Station area of Atlanta off Marietta when Kennedy Middle School is so much closer? If Inman is re-zoned closer to it's actual geography, maybe Kirkwood could be zoned into Inman and Coan can be some type of comprehensive middle school? or you can get LC to be zoned into Coan? while you're at it with Mary Lin? - Hey, you brought this up Sean ;-) - Mon May 5 2008, 09:09

Surprised it's been so quiet regarding your last sentence ;-) It's pretty complex. The Morningside parents are dealing with this new Kindergarten School on Ponce de Leon ( right down the street from Mary Lin) in the old Howard School building. I don't believe they are totally happy with that current 'solution' to their capacity issues. It's going to be interesting to see if the new Midtown Charter Schook (K-*) gets approved by APS. How do you think the Lake Clair parents would feel is APS did this re-zoning and sent them to Toomer? It's similar to what was proposed many years ago to Inman Park - rezoning them to John Hope, instead of Mary Lin. Much of this is cyclical... but there are more and more active parents with young children demanding quality education.

Would that type of social re-engineering work, as some have called it?
You telling me they wern't lining up overnight for Toomer's Pre-K program? ;-)
.... Should we all be getting 30030 zip codes when middle school rools around? ;-) - Fri May 2 2008, 18:23

I find it quite interesting, I have to admit. I too am a big advocate of public school education. I truly believe everyone school should be a school of excellence with all the best resources and best teachers. As an active (and family) in our intown neighborhoods, the value of community is SO very important. Our local schools are a reflection of the communities in whichg they exist and need to be valued and supported by all. We all want what's best for our children and will go out of our way to provide for them. Of course, the pre-k lottery is 'free', but there is no guarantee a child in the pre-k at Mary Lin will be able to enroll in the actual elementary school, as they are totally separate programs. You realized this is the same pre-k program that used to be housed at Morningside, until they ran out of room and had to use their space for the actual school. Parkside elementary also has a pre-k program that many Grant Park residents are choosing to utilize because it's a good program and within walking distance to many families.

I don't buy Dr. Hall's reasoning that camping out is not allowed because it's not fair to those families that are unable to spend the time to reserve their spots. That's an insult to those in Candler Park, Inman Park and Lake Claire that have worked so hard to support their local schools despite all the bureaucracy at APS. I'm not knocking anyone for sending their kid to a better school outside of their neighborhood ( ... hmm ;-) Yes Sean - by reading your other posts it sounded like you were sending your child to Toomer in Kirkwood), but since pre-k is open to all, then put the programs where they are most needed. If that means it not a Mary Lin and placed at another under-served area, I'm all for it. Besides, I'm sure at some point Mary Lin is going to actually need that classroom for elementary use... just my .02 cents over here from a group of hard-headed parents thah refused to be manipulated by APS and decided to start our own Neighborhood Charter School ;-)

P.S. outside a societal and fundemental point of view, can you imagine the effect on Kirkwood real estate if the school was a top notch school that had a waiting list to get into?

Ramiro Garcia | REALTOR
Founding Parent The Neighborhood Charter School, Founding Parent of the Grant Park Park Cooperative Preschool, Current parent of Atlanta Charter Middle School
(not trying to impress anyone with our involvement in local schools, just that I truly believe an element of neighborhood community is critical in the success of our schools!... )
I'm just getting really frustrating seeing all the Clayton County plates coming to our local schools and taking spots from local families... - Thu May 1 2008, 18:58

It's a bit complex and never 'logical'... Summerhill is in a different NPU than Grant Park and Ormewood Park. I don't think the West side of Grant Park gets the shaft - some buyers are looking specifically to be on the West Side of Grant Park... it's all preference. And as they say, Location, Location, Location ;-) - Sat May 3 2008, 08:03

Great Link and tool from my fellow KW agent Lisa - Thanks!
One thing to keep in mind for many of the sought after charter schools, is that may have primary, secondary and then city-wide attendance zones - which this map tool does not display.
Therefore it's always good to work with an intown neighborhood REALTOR, in my opinion.

Sounds like you and 'us' are doing some of the 'work' your agent should be doing? ;-) - Fri May 2 2008, 15:21

No problem. The official boundary on the West side is different North or South of Georgia Ave...
Connally Street is a boundary Street on the North side of Georgia Ave... which means homes on the East side of Conally are technically in Grant Park and zoned for the Charter School... make sense? ;-) - Fri May 2 2008, 11:13

Yes, Especially since the school zoning is so important. What street is it on? - Fri May 2 2008, 08:22