[allanny13]

Originally Posted by Mike 75

I would not lump Bridgeport in with Stamford or Norwalk. Bridgeport is one of, if not the worst school system in the state.

Agree, Stamford is not "great" but it is not "bad" compared to places like Bridgeport. Different animal all together.

[Blargrifth]

I work in Bridgeport schools and have had conversations with students telling me that Stamford High is not much better than Harding and Bassick. Westhill seems better though. Do the middle schools in Stamford reflect this at all? I am not familiar with which schools graduate into Stamford/Westhill.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by tkochny

Looking to relocate the family in the future and I will be commuting to work in Manhattan. Have been looking at Stamford homes because they are somewhat affordable and some parts that I have passed through seem very nice.

My question is why are the schools so bad in Stamford? Yea downtown is a bit sketchy but doesn't seem like enough to make every public school in all of Stamford to have such low ratings.

I would not say that Stamford schools are bad. The problem is that Stamford is a small city and has many of the issues found in urban areas. This includes a lot of students from homes where English is a second language, students from broken homes and students from poor families. These students unfortunately bring down test scores and give the overall school district a bad reputation. This compares drastically with the adjacent communities (Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan) which have some of the best performing schools in the state. Some elementary schools in Stamford perform well, but it is the middle and high schools that brings them all together and the begins to be some issues. Whether this is an issue for your children is your decision. Like others here noted, many people in Stamford choose to send their children to private schools, particularly when they get to the middle and high school levels. Jay

[beerisgood02]

Jay, Greenwich is actually pretty diverse. Bryam, WMS, Lebanon..

[jax12479]

Stamford schools do not have the test scores that the surrounding, more affluent towns have (Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Wilton), but that doesn't mean that kids are not getting a good education. I know Stamford parents who have been very happy with their elementary school experience so far (not sure about middle/high school).

[howdydoody342]

Once Stamford kicks out the rest of the low incoming house units in exchange for expensive high rises, you may see less diversity in their school systems and an uptick in test scores.

[BicoastalAnn]

Just a thought but... As long as the quality of instruction is good (and many here are saying it is), it may benefit your children to be in a high school where it's easier to be in the top say 5% of the class. It might be a whole lot more competitive at one of the elite schools, and that's good in some ways but not the right environment for everyone to shine. I know some people who are very successful but choose less competitive high schools for their kids, knowing they are already bright and don't need handholding or the pressure of an elite school. They still went to Ivy League schools.

[Blargrifth]

Originally Posted by BicoastalAnn

Just a thought but... As long as the quality of instruction is good (and many here are saying it is), it may benefit your children to be in a high school where it's easier to be in the top say 5% of the class. It might be a whole lot more competitive at one of the elite schools, and that's good in some ways but not the right environment for everyone to shine. I know some people who are very successful but choose less competitive high schools for their kids, knowing they are already bright and don't need handholding or the pressure of an elite school. They still went to Ivy League schools.

I wouldn't want to be the one to test that. My cousin got straight As at West Haven and then dropped out after a year at UConn because he couldn't handle it and felt unprepared for the work that he was getting. Though I think that what you are saying is more applicable to colleges. Unless you're doing something specific no one cares where you got your BA as long as you can show that you are good at it.

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by Blargrifth

I wouldn't want to be the one to test that. My cousin got straight As at West Haven and then dropped out after a year at UConn because he couldn't handle it and felt unprepared for the work that he was getting. Though I think that what you are saying is more applicable to colleges. Unless you're doing something specific no one cares where you got your BA as long as you can show that you are good at it.

Originally Posted by BicoastalAnn

Just a thought but... As long as the quality of instruction is good (and many here are saying it is), it may benefit your children to be in a high school where it's easier to be in the top say 5% of the class. It might be a whole lot more competitive at one of the elite schools, and that's good in some ways but not the right environment for everyone to shine. I know some people who are very successful but choose less competitive high schools for their kids, knowing they are already bright and don't need handholding or the pressure of an elite school. They still went to Ivy League schools.

Most people and probably the OP don't have the luxury of being able to choose a more elite HS due to budget constraints.

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by Blargrifth

I wouldn't want to be the one to test that. My cousin got straight As at West Haven and then dropped out after a year at UConn because he couldn't handle it and felt unprepared for the work that he was getting. Though I think that what you are saying is more applicable to colleges. Unless you're doing something specific no one cares where you got your BA as long as you can show that you are good at it.

I know stories like that as well - they are a top student in a school that offers fewer advanced classes and less competition, and then when they get to college, they struggle because they're not prepared.

And, as I said above, if you compare the college destinations for the top 25 or so students at Westhill HS and Stamford HS, they will compare favorably to all but a few towns in the state (New Canaan, Darien, Staples HS in Westport, etc). - however, there is more of a dropoff after those top students in Stamford than there is in those wealthy towns, and there are also much greater numbers of kids that won't go to college at all.