What pieces of the puzzle does Pittsburgh lack to be a great city? (Philadelphia: magnet school, stats)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

We have several Asian and Indian markets and restaurants here in town, Homestead has a PF Changs.

The fact that not many recent immigrants have wanted to move to a city on the economic skids over the past 30 years doesn't mean that people aren't open to diversity.

Somehow, I don't think PF Chang's is authentic Chinese. In fact, my husband went to China and said the food there is drastically different than what one gets in Chinese restaurants in the US.

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by JRittle123

more diversity, pittsburgh doesn't have a chinatown or much to offer in terms of asian amenities. It's mostly a black/white city.

Check out Squirrel Hill sometime. I'd be amazed if you're disappointed by the asian food or culture around there. OK, it's not a Chinatown as such, but it's pretty fun.

[Devout Urbanist]

Originally Posted by Katiana

The population of Philadelphia is 1.5 million. The population of Allegheny County is 1.2 mil. When you think of "great schools", do you think of the Philly schools?

Oh, please. The Philadelphia school system is not bad because it is big. NYC, for instance, has Bronx Science, Midwood, Murrrow, Stuyvesant, and LaGuardia. I would gladly send my own kids to these schools over any school, public or private, in the entire Pittsburgh area. You have a suburbanite's view of public education. You clearly did not go to public school in a city.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by Devout Urbanist

Oh, please. The Philadelphia school system is not bad because it is big. NYC, for instance, has Bronx Science, Midwood, Murrrow, Stuyvesant, and LaGuardia. I would gladly send my own kids to these schools over any school, public or private, in the entire Pittsburgh area. You have a suburbanite's view of public education. You clearly did not go to public school in a city.

Most children in NYC don't go to schools like Bronx Science or Stuyvesant, in fact both of those public schools reject 19 out of 20 applicants.

I looked it up, Stuyvesant is a bit segregated- only 1% of the student body is African American. Highly ranked schools in the Pittsburgh area like USC and North Allegheny have a much higher degree of diversity.

I guess its what ever you want in an education.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Devout Urbanist

Oh, please. The Philadelphia school system is not bad because it is big. NYC, for instance, has Bronx Science, Midwood, Murrrow, Stuyvesant, and LaGuardia. I would gladly send my own kids to these schools over any school, public or private, in the entire Pittsburgh area. You have a suburbanite's view of public education. You clearly did not go to public school in a city.

You clearly have no idea of my background. What comes to mind when you hear the term "Chicago Public Schools"? How about "LA Unified"?

@I_Like_Spam: The demographics of the NA school district (not only the students) shows 92% white; 2% black, 4.7% Asian, the rest "other".
North Allegheny School District, PA (4217010) DP1 General Demographic Characteristics

[Devout Urbanist]

Originally Posted by Katiana

You clearly have no idea of my background. What comes to mind when you hear the term "Chicago Public Schools"? How about "LA Unified"?

What you clearly hope "comes to mind" when I hear these terms has to do with gross generalizations about urban environments -- the sort of generalizations about urban environments that people who grow up or live in them tend not to make. There isn't a single school as good as Bronx Science in Pittsburgh. Not one. The idea that large school districts are inherently bad is preposterous.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

Most children in NYC don't go to schools like Bronx Science or Stuyvesant, in fact both of those public schools reject 19 out of 20 applicants.

I looked it up, Stuyvesant is a bit segregated- only 1% of the student body is African American. Highly ranked schools in the Pittsburgh area like USC and North Allegheny have a much higher degree of diversity.

I guess its what ever you want in an education.

And Bronx Science is majority Asian and requires an entrance exam. It's far from your typical "public" school.

The Bronx High School of Science in BRONX, NY | Student Body | US News

You can't just "send your kid" there. The kid has to earn his way in.

[Devout Urbanist]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

Most children in NYC don't go to schools like Bronx Science or Stuyvesant, in fact both of those public schools reject 19 out of 20 applicants.

Beside the point. If big school districts are so terrible, how do you explain the existence of Bronx Science, which is one of the top public schools in the country?

[Devout Urbanist]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

And Bronx Science is majority Asian and requires an entrance exam. It's far from your typical "public" school.

Plenty of public schools have entrance exams (not that I endorse them).

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Devout Urbanist

Beside the point. If big school districts are so terrible, how do you explain the existence of Bronx Science, which is one of the top public schools in the country?

How about the rest of the NYC city schools? And frankly, it's not educators who are coming up with national ratings for K-12 schools. It's outfits like US News and Newsweek which use dubious metrics. Not that I don't think Bronx Science is a good school, mind you. There's a big trend these days in city schools to set up these charter/magnet schools for the kids of the gentrifiers; everyone else gets to go to neighborhood schools which range from good to awful. It's funny how these "lottery" schools manage to admit all these gentry kids, huh?