Which North Shore suburb is diverse? (Chicago, Evanston: school districts, gated, living in)
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...is having MASSIVE negative effects on ALL school districts. I suspect if you are not happy with the services provided at Oak Park's schools the odds of them being much better at other districts is pretty slim.
If I were facing a situation like yours I would investigate not just the diversity but also how much property wealth per child each district has and the local history of how much is apportioned to Special Ed.
Good Luck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucky1969
Hi,
Thank you so much for your replies. I think I meant lake bluff not lake villa. We are currently in oak park and are moving because of we have not been happy with the spec Ed services here, to say the least.
The Village of Skokie has a large Jewish population and is part of a larger Jewish population that surrounds it.
Skokie is home to the Illinois Holocaust Museum. Demographically Skokie is approximately 1/2 white, 1/3 Asian, and 1/8 all others (including African American and two or more races).
Skokie received national attention in court cases that overturned Illinois Law in the '70s, and in 2001 reduced the power of Federal EPA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tex?Il?
Skokie is easily the most diverse suburbs on the north shore. In some ways more so than Evanston. Skokie in general is very nice and very diverse.
I grew up in the Arlington Hts area. I know Linix mentioned it. Its not North Shore and it really isn't diverse. It might as well be called "Arlington Whites"
Skokie is easily the most diverse suburbs on the north shore. In some ways more so than Evanston. Skokie in general is very nice and very diverse.
I grew up in the Arlington Hts area. I know Linix mentioned it. Its not North Shore and it really isn't diverse. It might as well be called "Arlington Whites"
I agree about Skokie. And, Skokie is not segregated. Neighborhoods and streets are diverse not just the whole suburb.
When we lived in Skokie, we had african americans, pakistanis, mexicans, russian jews, chinese, etc. all living on the same block.
I think it's kind of funny when people post things like this. Just curious - are you and Chet white?
When you drive through a town.... what, do you get a secret "vibe" that tells you that people are open minded and accepting of diverse racial/cultural backgrounds? I think that's pretty clear that is what the OP wants. Then you guys have a 6th sense that I don't have. So what can you do....? LOOK with your eyes at what you see. If you don't see any skin color but white, no inter-racial couples holding hands, it says a lot.
Why is that so hard to understand.....
I meant basically what you described. I wouldn't pick a town based on statistics on paper. I like to drive around a town and imagine how I would feel living in it. Would the people around me make me feel uncomfortable? Do I like how the homes look?
So, no, I don't think the OP or anyone has a sixth sense about a town. I just think there is more to living somewhere than statistics and that, even if a town is a certain way on paper, you could find a neighborhood within it that is what you want, and that would matter to me more, personally.
Years ago I had friends with 3 children who were dyslexic; special Ed was a can of worms, and the mother was at the school frequently. Today that school district has a school for autistic children with nearly 500 students and another school for special needs children who are not autistic.
Forty-five years later school districts still have tunnel vision and excuses. Before I moved anywhere I would observe the special Ed classrooms and the teachers who would interact with my student. It may not be any better than what you have.
Thank you so much for your replies. I think I meant lake bluff not lake villa. We are currently in oak park and are moving because of we have not been happy with the spec Ed services here, to say the least.
I read your question, and I am just wondering how important it is. My husband and I are relocating from another midwest state, and we are both white with a white son who is eleven and a black son who is 5. I am very concerned that my five year old is starting to notice when kids look like him, and I am worried since I am not sure any of the areas that we are looking in will have much diversity. We are considering Winnetka, Wilmette, and Hinsdale. Would you move to any of these areas if there is not diversity? Do you think that my five year old will be adversely affected?
I happen to know other families in the D181 school system with similar family make-up and I would be shocked if there are not others in the same situation in the Wilmette area too. While admittedly the decision to create a mixed race family is not common neither is it so rare in the larger districts that it would cause any heads to explode.
The concern I would have in living in an area with a larger percentage of minorities relates to the relative performance gap that exist. These gaps seem very hard to address and have existed for years. Because of these gaps there have been efforts in places like Evanston to homogenize some courses which creates a whole other kind of controversy...
I would not hesitate to recommend seeking out a home in the desirable suburban area of eastern DuPage Co / western Cook Co or the North Shore. The overall cultural environment is quite accepting of families of any composition and the safety / lack of fear should go a long way to helping your family ensure that both boys are free to reach their potential. I know there are small minded individuals on this forum that try to paint the suburbs as some stratified world however having lived "out here" most of my life while also having relatives that live in Chicago (and having working in Chicago) I think the advantages of not having to warn your kids about the potential problems that their skin color may cause in certain parts of Chicago is a far bigger deal...
I read your question, and I am just wondering how important it is. My husband and I are relocating from another midwest state, and we are both white with a white son who is eleven and a black son who is 5. I am very concerned that my five year old is starting to notice when kids look like him, and I am worried since I am not sure any of the areas that we are looking in will have much diversity. We are considering Winnetka, Wilmette, and Hinsdale. Would you move to any of these areas if there is not diversity? Do you think that my five year old will be adversely affected?
I would look at more suburbs around, visit the different places, talk to residents about their experiences and make an informed decision. There are some small minded people on the forum that will fail to see that some suburbs are not as inclusive as they think they are. I would cast a wider net and check out other places including Evanston and Oak Park, as both places have a large population of mixed race families... You may or may not find that either place is for your family, but why limit yourselves? Talk to residents about the schools also to get a clear picture as oppose to going off some Internet personas.
Oldermama, an easy answer to your question is to search the demographical makeup of each city.
Winnetka: 96% white and 0.25% black Population: 12K. Median income $167K. According to Wiki: "The area is one of the most exclusive and wealthy suburbs in the nation."
Wilmette: 83% white and 0.56% black Population 27K. The median income is $120K
Hinsdale: 90% white and 1.3% black Population 17K The median income is $105K
For comparison only here are the demographics of an inner ring suburb that is diverse, and it shares a border with Chicago:
Oak Park: 67.7% white and 21.7% black. Population 52K The mediun income is $103K
Generally speaking children with a parent involved with child, the homework and the schools fare well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by oldermama
lucky1969,
We are considering Winnetka, Wilmette, and Hinsdale. affected?
This is an interesting question. May I ask, what kind of community do you live in now? What sort of mix of minorities/incomes does it have, and do you feel comfortable there now?
The communities you list are among the most exclusive of the Chicago are. If you don't feel uncomfortable having your son perhaps being the only black child in his class... then I guess that tells us something. But remember, it is your son that will have to adjust... and you can tell that he is starting to sense things already.
I don't know if you are coming from the Midwest or not, but I have to say that that Chicago is still a very segregated city. You are asking a good questions.
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