[quote author="bkshopr" date=1229047139][quote author="awgee" date=1228998703][quote author="tmare" date=1228996486][quote author="awgee" date=1228995827][quote author="bkshopr" date=1228985497][quote author="tmare" date=1228984838]I have been teaching for over 20 years and I will tell you with a fair degree of certainty that all of these schools have a few things in common whether they are private, magnet or any other name you want to call them: they have requirements that both the students and the parents must fulfill in order to remain a student at the school. The schools nearby will get their rejects, the kids who don't want to do homework and the parents who don't want to, can't or don't know how to help or even motivate their children. I have worked at magnet school for the last 15 years. We are able to do things that regular schools can't. I know that not enough is done at many regular public schools, but the bottom line is that kids and parents are human, they do things when there are consequences and rewards. When you take away consequences, namely the ultimate consequence of being asked to leave a school, you don't have much left. When the students who don't follow through leave, the level of achievement among the remaining students increases.</blockquote>
I like the idea of an sacrificial lamb. In the business world deliberately laying off a few employees will improve the work ethic for the rest of the staff.
My praise goes to those parents living in the hoods who can't read English nor calculate simple arithmetic but still be able to nurture their kids in achieving the top 100 standings. So for some home shoppers seeking a pretentious place to live please stop using the "good schools" to justify their action because the really top schools in this country are mostly in the ghettos. 74 out of the 100 schools listed are in cities with poverty.</blockquote>
bk - I am not sure if you understand that most of those 74 schools are magnet or charter schools which are open only to children who can test in or otherwise qualify to be admitted, very few of whom are from the neighborhood in which they are located. The charter schools are located in the less desirable neighborhoods because they can only get funding if they do the politically correct thing and locate the school in a less desirable neighborhood.
My oldest daughter went to Orange County High School of the Arts for five years, her first year being the year OC relocated to it's present Santa Ana location. Approximately one child in twenty attending OC has a Santa Ana address, and they recruit like crazy in Santa Ana.
OC relocated to Santa Ana from Los Alamitos because Los Al would not give OSCHA as much space and funding as OC wanted. The city of Santa Ana and a patron provided the buildings and funding.
The really top schools in this country, located in cities with poverty, are filled with affluent children who reside in other neighborhoods, the exception being some of the magnet schools, but only some.
My first choice for my two younger daughters is OC, Troy, or Oxford, but if they are not accepted in one of those high schools, our second choice is one of the "good schools" in one of the pretentious neighborhoods.
It is quite judgemental and ignorant to say that people use "good schools" as an excuse to live in pretentious neighborhoods. How could you possibly know their motivations? In addition to demographic studies, you now read minds?
Tmare - If you have worked in an inner city school, would you please tell bk of the difference between the number of parents who show up for parent/teacher night at an inner city school and a "good school" in a pretentious neighborhood.</blockquote>
Awgee,
I think that was the exact point I was making. At my school in SA, parents are involved, however they are not wealthy parents. You're right, by 5th grade in the average school in SA, parents don't show. The difference at my school is that they do, it's standing room only. From the beginning of this thread, I think I was making the same points you are, these schools have requirements, the majority of those requirements involve academics. It's the schools on this list (if there are any) that have actual commitment requirements, they take anyone willing to work, those are the ones that deserve the most praise. I don't think any of us are disagreeing, of course, the students of more educated and affluent parents who are involved have more success than those who are just involved, but the model school is the one that accepts all who are willing to work hard and still does well. The schools on this list are easy to create, like I said, accept those who have high scores and you get high scores, it's pretty simple. The key is, if the kids and the parents and the teachers don't follow through, it all falls apart (can't have a triangle with 1 or 2 sides).</blockquote>
Oh, there is disagreement. Not on the subjects you are speaking on, but rather on bk's pronouncement that parents who profess to want their children to go to good schools, actually just want to live in a pretentious neighborhood and use the good school issue as an excuse to live in the desired neighborhood. I know many of those parents and we are some of those parents and I disagree. To paint those parents with such a broad brush is ignorant, judgemental, and just plain stupid.</blockquote>
Augee,
Please read carefully what I posted "So for some home shoppers seeking a pretentious place to live please stop using the ?good schools? to justify their action because the really top schools in this country are mostly in the ghettos. 74 out of the 100 schools listed are in cities with poverty".
I do not think my statement is broad-stroking the entire home shopper population since I chose my word "some" carefully . This is the reason why I lead to my conclusion. There is a segment of the demographic such as single professional, late 40+ dinks and empty nesters looking for homes but stated the priority is good school. These buyers do not have kids. You got to be kidding to believe that some buyers seeking the glamorous zip code are not ostentatious or pretentious by floundering their toys and that include homes situated on land that conveys vocabulary of Aristocratic features but the real reason they claim is good school thus to justify their $2mil+ spending. If a parent really want their kids to succeed in school then be active in their kids personal and school life. It does not require a top school for that. IR's Cultural Pathology is extremely correct.
Also look carefully in the top inner city schools selected that I have mentioned. Click on the schools and you will find that each of the school has a "poverty" and "disadvantaged" student factor. Students of these schools fall into both poverty and disadvantage factor just like Acpme's confirmation by his relative. It does not matter to me how the students got in whether it is by test score, talent or none. It is the idea of challenge and hope to the students and even the poor ones have the same opportunity to succeed just like the well provided for kids in Irvine. What difference does it makes whether it is a charter school or not? The fact that the school has a philosophy to motivate the poor students in learning.
The numerical value is an indication that rich families are not sending their smart rich genes to these schools. The school population is smart but poor kids collected from the vicinities. Rich families in LA do not send their kids to charter ghetto school. Please accept the fact that there are successful kids that arises out from the ashes of poverty and it is not the wealthy that helped these school gaining its reputation. It is the hard work from the poors who want a better life and that determination can overshadow all the disadvantages in their lives.
What about all the fundraisers as an excuse for getting together at some Shady Canyon Villa with extensive photo coverage by OC Riviera and Coast magazines with hired professional models wearing the latest fashion sponsored by SC Plaza boutiques. Then a month later the sponsors and attendees pictures are all over the press decked out in their $15,000 prada dress and Winston jewelries.
In doing successful marketing you have to set up politically correct reasons for the pretentious crowd to justify their "showing off" decision is not associated with selfishness. Learn from our politicians. Hypocrisy is well and alive behind the Orange curtain.</blockquote>
I think you are reading too many statistics instead of seeing who is actually attending the charter schools. You are absolutely wrong. The wealthy do indeed send their children to the charter schools in the poorer inner city. The magnet and charter schools lie about the income level of the students that attend those schools. They have to in order to get funded. I have intimate knowledge of this. And it makes a huge difference that it is a charter school. No one said that a poor kid could not do well. The overwhelming majority of good schools that a child can go to without qualifying to attend are in the more affluent neighborhoods. If you can not accept that, well ...