Totally depends on the person. More sensitive and sweet - better school more important. One kid I have needs a really nice environment on the social front and top teachers academically to support him. My other kid could go to a ghetto school and come out shiny and new. She's just self motivated smart and tough. Truly, not every personality is going to need the same environment. Also, cream rises to the top as my old boss used to say. You are who you are and no matter what, you'll find a way that works for you regardless of environment when you get to a certain age.

I attended failing schools (my ES received an "F" from the state when grades were given to schools, HS had 50% drop out rate). My sibling is a doctor, and I'm a lawyer. But it was a long road to get there and we had some financial privilege and luck helping us along the way.

The problems were more social than academic (although academics were not good); I fell into a group that, for the most part, prioritized drug use over schoolwork. I didn't get into a single college I applied to (although I only applied to 3, and I had no idea what I was doing when I picked them--there were 3 "counselors" for 2000 students at my school and they did virtually no college counseling and my parents were MIA). I worked in a restaurant for a year, moved to a big city and went to an urban private college with relatively open admissions, and eventually got it very much together.

YMMV, but I wouldn't send my kids to a school system at the 15th percentile. No way.

Thanks PPs! Op here. I am a bit nervous, I didn’t feel we fit exactly into the town I stayed in after college and started our family in but the schools are highly ranked here. My children are also the only minority in their grades at times and within our neighborhood. It has come with good and bad experiences.

You have raised some good points about the school option and I thank you!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who think that a “decent college” is the only path for some students are very mistaken

Anyone who puts down a trade school is going to be eating their words the minute they need their car repaired or toilet fixed.

Welders? They make so much money without the mountain of debt.

Until they are physically injured and cannot work. But yeah, definitely default to jobs that require you to toil with your hands as opposed to using your brain.

Ah another DCUM harpie who puts down working with your hands and assumes those who do have no brains.

Seems to me the ones without brains are the ones who leave school with massive amounts of debt.

Anonymous wrote:People who think that a “decent college” is the only path for some students are very mistaken

Anyone who puts down a trade school is going to be eating their words the minute they need their car repaired or toilet fixed.

Welders? They make so much money without the mountain of debt.

Until they are physically injured and cannot work. But yeah, definitely default to jobs that require you to toil with your hands as opposed to using your brain.

Anonymous wrote:Crap students will always be cramp students. As they say, you can put lipstick on a pig but it will always be a pig.

Ignore this troll.

Thanks to the Fairfax democrat voters, the whole system is going down hill rapidly.

Best advice is: find a private school for your child.

Crap students will always be cramp students. As they say, you can put lipstick on a pig but it will always be a pig.

Anonymous wrote:Yes it is very important, for social reasons as well as for academic ones.
Made a mistake of putting my kid in a title 1 K-2 and I think he was traumatized.

+1

Don’t do it OP. Your children deserve the best education you can afford to provide to them.

Yes it is very important, for social reasons as well as for academic ones.
Made a mistake of putting my kid in a title 1 K-2 and I think he was traumatized.

Anonymous wrote:People who think that a “decent college” is the only path for some students are very mistaken

Anyone who puts down a trade school is going to be eating their words the minute they need their car repaired or toilet fixed.

Welders? They make so much money without the mountain of debt.

Ignore this PP. They are trying to derail this discussion.

Don’t take the bait from this troll.

It makes a world of difference, no matter what anyone tells you.

I’m a minority as well, and researched carefully before moving my family. We were previously located in a district with a significantly underperforming school. My child just was not getting the education and environment that I felt he needed to thrive.

So we moved a couple of years before middle school to one of the best school clusters in our district. It has been a night and day difference. Far more parent involvement at the schools, better clubs, programs and after school activities, better credentialed teachers, staff and administration. Better funding and sponsorship due to a wealthy local population.

My minority child has thrived in this environment. The teachers in his former school were miserable, the teachers in our current cluster love their jobs and many travel 1+ hour each way every day just to teach here. Many PhDs. He’s getting a truly world class education, and my son loves going to school, even as a high schooler.

His peer group has elevated his motivation and eagerness to perform well and push himself in school. This would not have happened in our previous district, as the caliber of students and parents there were just not at the same level. And this is what has made all the difference in my child’s academic performance. He was starting to struggle in the previous district despite being labeled as a gifted learner.

I feel that moving to a great school district is one of the best things I could do for my child to help provide a solid foundation as he launches into young adulthood. Being surrounded by motivated, high achieving peers has raised the bar for him, and I see that as a good thing.

People who think that a “decent college” is the only path for some students are very mistaken

Anyone who puts down a trade school is going to be eating their words the minute they need their car repaired or toilet fixed.

Welders? They make so much money without the mountain of debt.

It’s the peer group that matters the most as they have the most influence during middle school and high school…Who do you want their peer group to be? If they hang out with kids who aren’t interested in college, and go to community college instead, are you okay with that? Or do you feel you have a strong enough influence on them that you can keep them on a path to a decent college?

Minority family moving to back to my hometown where schools are ranked lower than 85% of schools within the State.

I turned out ok and this was years before rankings were a thing. FWIW most classmates ended up in community, four year college or technical/trade school. Job fields are government, banking, cosmetics, etc these days 20+ years out with few dentists, lawyers and doctors in the mix.

In today’s day and age, how much does school rank matter for average students - all three of my kids are solidly a mix of a/b/c grades (ex: a’s in math, c’s in geography, b’s in French) solidly
Average overall.