Reply to Does the school pyramid really make a difference in the long run?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]12:58 here again,

Just re-read your question in the title of this thread.

I guess my answer to "does the school pyramid really make a difference in the long run?" is:

Maybe.  It depends on your kid.

Many people think of it like an insurance policy -- they buy in the best zone they can afford so that they know they've done all they can do for the kid to succeed.  Whatever happens from there is on the kid.[/quote]

This.

I went to a TERRIBLE high school, as did my brother (middle school).  There were routine knife fights in my school, and my brother was relentlessly bullied.  As recent immigrants, we didn’t have options. Nor did our parents understand that there could be options.  We kept our head down, and nose in the books.  My brother tested into a really good high school (he didn’t even tell the family about the test. Or the bullying), a horrible commute away, but made it work.  My partial college scholarships were insufficient for me to go to private college, so I went to a local one.  Then went to a top tier grad school, while working 3 jobs to make it work. We have both done well in life.  My brother just made partner, and I am immensely proud of how far we have both come.

TL;DR A really good work ethic, and family support, goes a long way in life.  People with options wouldn’t  want to put their children through that.[/quote]

Give me a break.  There are no schools in Fairfax or Arlington counties with "routine knife fights".  [/quote]

DP and not related to school safety per se, but there are absolutely schools in APS and FCPS that academically perform below state and national averages.

The "every school is great" line is something that local school officials and school boards like to say, but it's belied by their own behavior.  For example, FCPS built or plans to build additions at West Springfield and West Potomac because they know people would fight getting moved to Lee and Mount Vernon, each of which has extra space.  But they'll redistrict kids to schools with stronger academic reputations (Annandale to Woodson, Jackson to Thoreau) because they know the people getting moved believe they are getting an upgrade.

This isn't a knock on the teachers.  Many dedicated teachers work in the school with more challenges.  But peer groups matter a lot, just as parents do. [/quote]

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