U.S. Cities  

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Illinois > Chicago
Register Blogs Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads.

Get a detailed profile
Search Forums  (Advanced)
Business Search - 14 Million verified businesses
Search for:  near: 
Reply


 
Old 08-06-2009, 11:24 PM
There are roads left in both of our shoes...
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SW Suburbs of Chicago
586 posts, read 206,596 times
Reputation: 111
deechee will become famous soon enoughdeechee will become famous soon enoughdeechee will become famous soon enough
Quote:
Originally Posted by ajolotl View Post
Yes, but I also encourage people who are committed to the urban lifestyle with kids to speak with other people who have found adequate resolution to the public school problem before totally giving up on the idea and fleeing to the suburbs.

Also, there are great private schools.
The private schools in Chicagoland are excellent for the most part. I've thought about maybe pursuing a career in public or private educational settings. Chicago is a great place to do either one. I don't know if I'll be staying in Chicago much longer though.

Anywho, people must remember not to be scared of a school with a minority population. Test scores are important-- yes -- but you will also come out with a child that is well rounded and understands cultural differences and similarities. I know for a fact that 90% of the action that takes place in the classroom is instruction and educational fun.

I have shadowed at schools like Gillespie on Chicago's far south side, and even though the school had a really bad reputation, and the scores were much lower than I would have accepted for my own child, I found that in every classroom, the children were alert, attempted to learn and do work, and for the most part were respectful and listened to their teachers.

Many people will think I'm lying, but I have no reason to lie. I am not an employee of Chicago Public Schools, or any school district for that matter, and I am just stating that stereotypes of many of these schools are often not true.

I have also visited a high school in Newark, IL and found that the kids there were in a smaller setting, but had traits like talking back and things that I did not observe at Gillespie.

Have a great time looking for a place to live, and of course, feel free to ask me anything via PM or w/e.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 08-07-2009, 10:13 AM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Chicago: Beverly, Woodlawn
1,393 posts, read 837,123 times
Reputation: 319
ajolotl is a jewel in the roughajolotl is a jewel in the roughajolotl is a jewel in the roughajolotl is a jewel in the roughajolotl is a jewel in the roughajolotl is a jewel in the roughajolotl is a jewel in the rough
That's an interesting testimonial. I don't think anyone should doubt you. Still, I don't think a white person would ever send their kids to Gillespie. But it is important to realize that the negative perceptions of such schools are often wildly exaggerated.


Quote:
Originally Posted by deechee View Post

I have shadowed at schools like Gillespie on Chicago's far south side, and even though the school had a really bad reputation, and the scores were much lower than I would have accepted for my own child, I found that in every classroom, the children were alert, attempted to learn and do work, and for the most part were respectful and listened to their teachers.

Many people will think I'm lying, but I have no reason to lie. I am not an employee of Chicago Public Schools, or any school district for that matter, and I am just stating that stereotypes of many of these schools are often not true.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-07-2009, 10:24 AM
There are roads left in both of our shoes...
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SW Suburbs of Chicago
586 posts, read 206,596 times
Reputation: 111
deechee will become famous soon enoughdeechee will become famous soon enoughdeechee will become famous soon enough
Quote:
Originally Posted by ajolotl View Post
That's an interesting testimonial. I don't think anyone should doubt you. Still, I don't think a white person would ever send their kids to Gillespie. But it is important to realize that the negative perceptions of such schools are often wildly exaggerated.

Well thank you sir. I thoroughly enjoyed that time I spent shadowing in schools. I plan to do it more often this fall, and I wil share my observations with City-Data folks

I know that a white person would not send their child to an all black school. I identify as a colored woman, but still, I'd never send my child there, because the student population is too homogenous. The point is to understand culture, not overwhelm the child.

I was just saying that to reinforce that a majority minority school is not a death wish or a place to be avoided. If the test scores are good, and have been steady or have gone up recently, why not let your child attend the school?

That's why I still recommend the S, SW, and W suburbs. Most of them are still stable and have some level of diversity that the kids will feel comfortable in.

Last edited by deechee; 08-07-2009 at 10:28 AM.. Reason: spelling errors
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.



Reply


Quick Reply
Message:

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Similar Threads


Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Illinois > Chicago

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:39 AM.

Copyright © 2005-2009, Advameg, Inc.

City-Data.com - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 - Top