[FunkOdyssey]

Originally Posted by Raider111

DUHH!
no kidding Capt Obvious

The risk that a child grows up to talk like this should persuade most readers to enroll their kids in private school.

[BicoastalAnn]

If the OP can afford a better school system than Stamford in the area, then 100% he should go to those other schools... because all those schools are rated a lot better than Stamford. But if he can't, then all I'm saying is... yes, his child can succeed. A child with good, hands on parents can certainly succeed in a not-terrible school like Stamford. Some people may even find that environment better for their situation than a competitive school. But again, no one is arguing a person should choose Stamford over Greenwich if they can afford both.

To be fair about that riff raff comment though... I went to a high school that I imagine to be similar to Stamford. There were some riff raff but also very wealthy kids. There were problems on both sides, and more than a few of my rich peers had stints in rehab while I was there. Bad influences can be found anywhere these days.

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by BicoastalAnn

If the OP can afford a better school system than Stamford in the area, then 100% he should go to those other schools... because all those schools are rated a lot better than Stamford. But if he can't, then all I'm saying is... yes, his child can succeed. A child with good, hands on parents can certainly succeed in a not-terrible school like Stamford. Some people may even find that environment better for their situation than a competitive school. But again, no one is arguing a person should choose Stamford over Greenwich if they can afford both.

To be fair about that riff raff comment though... I went to a high school that I imagine to be similar to Stamford. There were some riff raff but also very wealthy kids. There were problems on both sides, and more than a few of my rich peers had stints in rehab while I was there. Bad influences can be found anywhere these days.

This. Fantastic.

[Sigequinox]

Originally Posted by Stylo

They are not "bad", so get that thought out of your head! Just because the standardized test scores are not the best does not make it a bad school system. A little diversity can be good. It's closer to the real world than the perfect bubbles that exist elsewhere.

Mm that depends. There's not much "socioeconomic diversity" where I work. Where I live. Or in my social circles. It's only the "real world" if that's the world you choose.I think most people would consider the "diversity" (a nice euphemism) a negative, other wise places like Waterbury and new Britain would be desireable towns, not Avon and Glastonburry (not familiar with FFC references).

While I agree standardized test scores should not be the sole measure of a schools success, poor test scores often come with all the other baggage that DOES make a school undesirable .

[AntonioR]

Originally Posted by Blargrifth

Of course they aren't doomed, and yes those types of students in middle school should be more likely to take high school seriously. But 15-16 is still an unpredictable age where bad influences can easily overpower good influences if they are prevalent enough. So I guess my question is, if you can afford to have your kid go to a good elementary school and middle school, why take that risk by sending them to Stamford? Even if it doesn't change their personal behavior directly, it is still going to affect their academic opportunities and access to greater standards of education. It is not very engaging for the smarter kids in class to sit with their head on the desk for the second half of every period while the teacher works with the struggling kids so they can catch up.

What you described in the last sentence doesn't apply at all at AP level courses in Stamford Public Schools.

[Blargrifth]

Originally Posted by AntonioR

What you described in the last sentence doesn't apply at all at AP level courses in Stamford Public Schools.

I never claimed that. Intelligent students are not necessarily taking AP courses.

[Wilton2ParkAve]

Originally Posted by AntonioR

What you described in the last sentence doesn't apply at all at AP level courses in Stamford Public Schools.

True. But there is a lot of years before AP classes are applicable.

[BicoastalAnn]

Originally Posted by Blargrifth

I never claimed that. Intelligent students are not necessarily taking AP courses.

If they're not, they really should be.

[dec38]

Stamford schools are not bad. They are diverse. There is a critical mass of students from professional families who care about education. There are also many children from underprivileged circumstances (and many of these families care very much about education too!). Test scores reflect the fact that many in Stamford come from non-English speaking homes, and around half of all students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Some schools in Stamford overperform their demographics. You can find the latest test results here:

SDE: Smarter Balanced Reporting Information

Our personal experience: We are very happy with our child's elementary school. It is a warm, nurturing, welcoming environment. Our child is doing quite well, and loves the school. I've been impressed by the math curriculum, which really teaches math concepts in a deep way, so that my first grader is already making the leap to multiplication, division, and fractions as a natural extension of the concepts being taught. He's reading above grade level.

You need to be comfortable with diversity to live in Stamford. Your child's peers will include the children of doctors, lawyers, professionals in the finance sector, etc., along with the children of minimum wage workers, etc. They will be from every corner of the world. I think that is a good thing, on balance.

Every parent wants to do what is best for their children, so we cannot help but continue to question whether our children would get a better education in a different school district. But for now, we see our child happy, with a love of learning.

The list of colleges Stamford graduates in the class of 2015 are going to can be found here. It is an impressive list:

http://www.stamfordpublicschools.org...ges_2015_0.pdf

[wtby4000]

I am glad we are having this discussion. These questions are rarely out in the open.