Schools, schools, schools (Detroit, Dearborn, Troy: rent, work, high school)

[dakwilk]

I know that schools in Troy and Birmingham are great. I'm wondering if anyone knows about schools in the Avondale and Berkley Districts. (My child is only going into kindergarten and we won't be here for more than 5 years.) Out of these four districts, which would you consider to be the most diverse? Any opinions are appreciated.

[Coldjensens]

I am not certain, but I think that Troy schools are not so great. Check the internet data and visit there. If by diverse you mean white people from many different cultural backgrounds, they are all about the same. You will find polish, Scandinavian, Italian, and lots of other diverse white cultures i those areas. To the best of my knowledge, no place in Michigan is diverse. Most places are segregated and there are not many cultures except African American and European (mostly northern European). Dearborn has middle eastern cultures mixed in and Ann arbor is moderately diverse. I have never understood the quality of diversity as making a school somehow better. OUr kids went to school where they were almost the only anglo whites in the school and got a good education. No they attend an almost all white school and they are getting a good education. What difference does diversity make? In the so called "diverse" schools that I have visited, all of the racial groups segregate themselves into different areas of the school. How does attending such a school benefit kids? Do you want them to learn racial dislike before they are old enough to handle racial differences properly?

[theboysmom]

A great place to check on schools is greatschools.net

Troy actually has blue ribbon schools (that means they're VERY good). I think a good reason for going to a school that's a little diverse is that children get a true sense of the world around them. I grew up in a basically all white area and there was literally one black child in my entire elementary school. I admit that as I got older I was uncomfortable around certain people. Gladly, I grew out of that. One may think that deomographics do not impact schooling, but there is more to a well rounded education than meap scores.

[Coldjensens]

I have seen nothing to indicate that going to a mixed school or being a minority in a school of mostly other races does anything to make anyone less compfrtable with people of other races. IN fact, it may be quite the opposite.

OUr children now go to an almost all white school, but their frineds include most or all of the few black, muslim and oriental kids who attend the school. When they went to an alsmot all hispanic school, they tended to hang out more with the three other white kids who went there. They did have a lot of hispanic friends, but the white kids tended to sit together at lunch, team up for class projects, etc. The twenty or so oriental kids also tended to hang out with the other oriental kids. I was concerned about moving our kids to a mostly white school, especially the younger ones, but I see no difference at all in their outlook towards other races.

[theboysmom]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

The twenty or so oriental kids also tended to hang out with the other oriental kids.

People are not oriental. Rugs or vases are. People are Asian. Sorry, but that always bugs me for some reason (and I'm Italian,lol)


As for the rest, I do think diversity is better than none. Even if it's not an ideal situation it's a window beyond the loaf of white bread in your fridge, if you know what I mean. But that's jut my opinion. *shrugs shoulders* Different strokes for different folks.

[Coldjensens]

Diversity in schools is a great concept. I would agree with the anti-white bread concept if it actually proved to be meaningful. The idea that it will make your children more racially accepting is marvellous. However like too many ideals, the reality just does nto support the theory. Diverse schools segregate themselves and seem to create more racial tension between the groups than less diverse schools.

It is a mistake to choose schools based on diversity rather than on the ability of the particular school system to produce consistently successful graduates. If 40% of your school chums plan to go to college, you are less likely to desire a colelge education and work to get one than if 95% of your peers go on to college. Likewise, if a third of your peers drop out without finishing school, you are less motivated to excell in school. You tend to get into an attitude of "well at least I graduated"

Diversity is a noble ideal, but graduation rates, college matriculation rates, crime rates, avialability of advanced classes and A.P. courses, higher weight in the college admissions process, opprotunities to excell in non-academic activities and many many other factors are more critical to a child's well being than diversity, especially since there is absolutely nothing to indicate that a child educated in a more diverse school will be more racially accepting. Leave the diversity issue for college when your children are better equipt to understand and appreciate it. For high school, find the best preparation for college and the best overall high school experience that you can. You children are more important than this particular noble cause.

[OhEdo]

Originally Posted by theboysmom

People are not oriental. Rugs or vases are. People are Asian.

Not to harp too much no this issue, but oriental or, to be more pc, East Asian is actually more appropriate IMHO. Asia includes large portions of the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Southeast Asia and a whole slew of former Soviet nations, but when people in the US say "Asian" they are actually thinking of Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and possibly Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai and Filipino, thus leaving excluding over half the population of Asia. I actually like those old-fashioned terms like Sub-Continent, Asia Minor and the Far East - to me those words don't sound stigmatizing and they more accurately describe the region in question.

[theboysmom]

Originally Posted by OhEdo

Not to harp too much no this issue, but oriental or, to be more pc, East Asian is actually more appropriate IMHO.

Ah, really? I have friend who blew a freakin' gasket when somebody called him "oriental". So I thought okay, who am I to disagree? Lol, ever since then it bugs me whenever I hear it because I think of how mad he got.

[theboysmom]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

However like too many ideals, the reality just does nto support the theory. Diverse schools segregate themselves and seem to create more racial tension between the groups than less diverse schools.

I'll just say that I don't agree with this sweeping generalization.

It is a mistake to choose schools based on diversity...

Yep. It's a mistake to choose a school based on any one aspect. I had many reasons for moving into the school district we did. I wanted schools that had strong arts and sciences, a wide choice of extra activities and yes, some diversity. Not one of those things, but all of them. I got pretty close to exactly what I wanted. We're happy.

Leave the diversity issue for college when your children are better equipt to understand and appreciate it..

I think the younger the better. That's what so great about small children, they are blank slates and are open to everyone and everything.


Well, that was fun. It's always so interesting to hear what's important to other parents. Everyone's going to have different ideas and priorities.

[cjbailey]

You can check on many web sites as to the mostly objective ratings on the school systems, look up school report cards, great schools, standards & poors, and each system has it's own ratings. In the metro Detroit area Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Novi and Northville consistantly rate as some of the highest districts. Troy has had pretty high ratings also. Avondale hasn't been up in the top tier. It's hard to get really accurate school ratings and I think many schools systems have individual schools that just really shine and some that are problematic. When we were moving back to this area I focused on school systems that had at least 90% of the graduates going on to college and that seemed like a very good indicator.
My children were amazed when we moved to Novi from Northern Michigan which had virtually no diversity. They have benefited from being in class with a mix of people from other cultures: Japanese, Indian and americans of various races.