Evanston vs. New Trier

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Nysee53

Did you know that ETHS is the largest high school by population under one roof in the United States? Did you know ETHS has a student population of over 3,000?

Actually ETHS is the largest high school by area under one roof, not population. It has more than two million square feet of space!

Evanston Township High School - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[XavierJen]

Originally Posted by aragx6

How is there no yardstick for diversity? It's simple demographic information- available on the Interactive Illinois Report Card:

New Trier: 88% white, 8% Asian, 2.1% Hispanic, .9% multiracial, .7% black and only 2% low income.

Evanston: 47.4% white, 36.6% black, 10% Hispanic, 3.2% Asian, 2.5% multiracial and 34% low income.

Which of those seems most like "the real world" to you guys? People can and should be allowed to send their kids wherever they want, I would never argue that. But to say that there are ways to measure performance (ACT scores, college acceptance rates, etc.) and not diversity (both racial and economic) is just untrue.

Wherever did this near religious worship of "diversity" come from? Today the mind-numbing orthodoxy is that diversity equals "better", but says who and on what basis?

There are just as many opinions that can show that diversity causes unnecessary friction and tension, which can cause distraction from learning. Look at all the time people spent reading and discussing the issue here on this thread. Opportunity cost anyone?

Oh, also can't the idea of diversity be one between "intra" and "inter", right? If we have primarily black or hispanic high schools, and then some white ones, doesn't that provide diversity around Chicagoland? This idea that all HS environments should be socially engineered to some precise % breakdown is fallacy and it ironically would result in all schools being homogenized, which reduces the diversity.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Actually ETHS is the largest high school by area under one roof, not population. It has more than two million square feet of space!

Evanston Township High School - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Somehow I do not believe their claim.

Also, there are no footnotes to cite references for these claims and figures on the wiki page.

[katgrl43]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid
"But alas, there are downsides to New Trier as well. Nearly every kid I've ever met from that school was a horrible spoiled brat with a massive sense of entitlement who couldn't take criticism. I think I'd prefer to have a few poor kids in the school to give my child a balanced perspective on life."

Wow! Nearly every kid you've ever met from New Trier "...was a horrible spoiled brat with a massive sense of entitlement who couldn't take criticism..." ??!!

Hmmmm , I beg to differ. I graduated from New Trier in 1983. I lived in Winnetka all of my life. Married a great guy in '92 who went through the private schools also in Winnetka (Faith Hope and Loyola) and we lived there until 2004. We have three, well-grounded, intelligent, compassionate, respectful and loving, boys. My husband grew up in an area of Winnetka that was considered much more, "High Rent", than I did, although now, that gap has almost closed. His parents were financially-blessed and he was expected to work and find his own way. They were adamant about their children having a strong work-ethic. My older brother and his wife and 14-year old son, also live there as well. His son is a Boy Scout, very active in baseball and a good student, not to mention just a very sweet boy.
My parents insisted we had part-time jobs at 16, and my 2 older brothers actually worked themselves through U Of I At Chicago by working at Dominick's. I took out loans and grants and worked my way through as well. After we turned 18 and when we weren't in college for summer break, we were expected to have summer jobs and we paid for our own cars and gas. We also paid for our own phone lines and contributed to the groceries. Could our parents have paid for all of this? Yes, but we could work and pay our way, after all, they were preparing us for the "real world".
Yes I had friends who went to Europe after graduating to just hang out and relax while I worked. I knew some that had housekeepers and lived in multi-million dollar homes. Some of them couldn't tie their shoes today, while some of them went on to be successful, kind, family-oriented people.
Were there snobs? Yes. Were there people who felt they had a sense of entitlement because of the amount of money their parents had? Sure.
But there were also plenty of hard-working, honest, respectful and philanthropic people living there as well, wealthy and middle class.
We live in a suburb further north now and it is very diverse, (again, this is the real world), and the range of salaries and real estate vary. Are there snobs here too? You bet! I wouldn't let some of them walk my dog and it isn't because they have less than we do, on the contrary it is because you will find people like that anywhere you go.
Please remember that the next time you try to lump us all together in one very big "spoiled" pot!

[katgrl43]

Humboldt1-said:



Northshore Community School
"If New Trier isn't exclusive enough for you send your kids to Northshore Community. It is like a small campus and mostly super rich kids, though they do subsidize a very small number of kids from the inner city to make themselves feel good and say they appreciate diversity."


You are referring, I believe, to North Shore Country Day School. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about "Country Day" schools:

"The Country Day School movement is a progressive educational program that originated in the United States in the late 19th century.
Country Day schools seek to recreate the educational rigor, atmosphere, camaraderie and character-building aspects of the best college prep boarding schools while allowing students to return to their families at the end of the day. To avoid the crime, pollution and health problems of the industrial cities of the early 1900s, the schools were sited in the 'country,' where wealthy families owned large homes in what would later be known as "the suburbs."
The Country Day School movement shared many values with the Arts and Crafts movement. School buildings and campus landscaping were designed with the goal of creating an inspirational atmosphere that would foster learning and culture. In keeping with this holistic view of the student learning environment, various "after-school" programs promoted student development, including athletic programs, choir and religious studies, and monitored study time. Students were given opportunities to develop leadership skills through clubs and student organizations."

Okay, that about sums it up. I have a good friend that lives in Winnetka and she sends her one son to NSCD, while her other son goes to the public schools. Why? Because NSCD offers her oldest son the structure and a more one-on-one teaching approach that he needs. The other son is very independent, can function just fine in a bigger classroom and is more suited to the over-all atmosphere of a public school. Yes, it very expensive, I think it may be around nineteen- thousand per year to send him there. When I was at New Trier, back in the early eighties, if you went to NSCD, you were labled as a "problem-child". Do I really think that now? Of course not. Please keep in mind that some kids thrive much better in an environment that a Country Day School provides They all have different needs and learning styles. For some, the Country Day schools are just what they need.

[katgrl43]

Anthera -said:




New Trier - Evanston HS
"Another thing to keep in mind is that even if NT has higher test scores overall, that doesn't mean that your child will necessarily get better scores by osmosis. It actually means that your kids may face tougher competition for AP classes and percentiles.

Parents need to decide what is important for their kids education, what the kids interests are, and what classes would peak their interests. All kids are not the same, there is no one choice that is best for all kids.

Any teenager who has the opportunity to go to either school is lucky."

Bravo to you! You hit the nail on the head!

I grew up in Evanston from 1965 to 1972. My older brother graduated ETHS in '71. My mom pulled my other brother and I out of the public schools there in '70 and put us in private, after a girl was raped in one of the bathrooms at a junior-high school there and the kindergarten I was at was housing the "Students For A Democratic Society" in tents on their grounds and were allowed to play with us on the playground and made us "Peace" signs to bring home! (This went over REAL well with my 2-star Major General father!)
We then moved to Winnetka where my other brother and I eventually went to New Trier. It was brutal then in terms of grading and it is now! You were put in classes by "levels" 1, 2, 3, and to get into the level 4 and AP classes was cut-throat! My brother told me his son was a B+ student in junior-high and is barely keeping his head above water at New Trier!
I had friends who went to ETHS and unfortunately there was a higher incidence of crime, but, Winnetka has had it's share of tragedy as well. Laurie Dann in '89 and David Biro, an NT student who brutally murdered a friend of mine in a Winnetka condo. There are drugs and alcohol issues at NT just as there are at many high schools. I knew athletes that went to Loyola Prep in Wilmette, who dealt drugs at NT. I have heard from friends who have kids at Lake Forest, that there has been past problems with gangs there.
So, whether you're at NT or Evanston, know your child. Know who their friends are. Know all there is to know about their lives. Be a part of it. Love them, be strong when they need it and give them the best tools they'll need to grow up and join the world!
The amount of money you have in your bank account does not measure what you're really worth. Whether you have 1 million or 1 dollar, be respectful, kind, fair, trustworthy, work hard, play just as hard, and help your fellow man.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by katgrl43

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid
"But alas, there are downsides to New Trier as well. Nearly every kid I've ever met from that school was a horrible spoiled brat with a massive sense of entitlement who couldn't take criticism. I think I'd prefer to have a few poor kids in the school to give my child a balanced perspective on life."

Wow! Nearly every kid you've ever met from New Trier "...was a horrible spoiled brat with a massive sense of entitlement who couldn't take criticism..." ??!!

Hmmmm , I beg to differ.

...

Please remember that the next time you try to lump us all together in one very big "spoiled" pot!

Well, I did say NEARLY every kid from New Trier I'VE MET. And I'm guessing I haven't met you.

Yes, it's an overgeneralization. But I will never school my kids in the New Trier district. I think it's really a messed up place, and many of the kids are warped. But they probably won't go to ETHS either, to tell you the truth.

[Anthera]

[quote=katgrl43
The amount of money you have in your bank account does not measure what you're really worth. Whether you have 1 million or 1 dollar, be respectful, kind, fair, trustworthy, work hard, play just as hard, and help your fellow man.[/quote]


You are 100% correct. Welcome to the forum.

Anthera

[katgrl43]

Thanks Anthera! I really like the boards on this website. A lot of very intelligent people post here!

And to you, Lookout Kid, you're right as far as some of the "warped" families are concerned, there are some very "Ordinary People"-like families on the North Shore! Winnetka has its share of issues, and having grown up in Evanston until I was 8, believe me there's a dark-side there as well.
But, that said, both places have wonderful people too, trying to raise their families and make a life for themselves. Those are the kind of people we gravitate towards!