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View Poll Results: where would you send your kid
Winchester Thurston 2 18.18%
Shadyside Academy 5 45.45%
Ellis 2 18.18%
other (specify) 2 18.18%
Voters: 11. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 10-27-2015, 07:57 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gladhands View Post
We're probably going to do Falk, Environmental Charter or Colfax, and pray for Obama or CAPA, but we had to do our due-diligence. Of the three schools in the poll, Shadyside Academy is the only one that really impressed us.
Sorry, I didn't mean that as a bad thing. I am not familiar with the whole magnet bidding system but it seems like those schools would be perfect.
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Old 10-27-2015, 08:15 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh, PA (Morningside)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lettert View Post
Sorry, I didn't mean that as a bad thing. I am not familiar with the whole magnet bidding system but it seems like those schools would be perfect.
If you go to a magnet K-5 in the East End, you're basically guaranteed a slot in a Obama for Grade 6, as long as you meet the (low) entrance requirements. Sci-Tech has no weighting of entrance, although there are mandatory essays as part of the application. CAPA has an audition process.

The OP is in the Colfax feeder zone, which is by far the best neighborhood elementary in the city. However, because it has the highest test scores, it is popular, meaning it is one of the only (possibly the only) elementary schools which is overcrowded (IIRC class size was the OP's original concern with Colfax). Getting into CAPA/Sci-Tech/Obama from a neighborhood school at grade 6 (or 9) can be a bit dicier, because you only have the pick of the slots left over after those in magnet elementary schools select. My understanding though is that Colfax has low enrollment now for grades 6-8, because a lot of parents switch over to CAPA/Sci-Tech/Obama in 6th grade.
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Old 10-27-2015, 10:46 AM
gg
 
Location: Pittsburgh
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I am not convinced a private school would be better to be honest. I think some kids would benefit from the change, but well funded schools like FC, NA, Mt. Lebo and others have a TON of amenities. I know FC has a couple of 3-D printers laying around that are extremely expensive. People in the wealthier neighborhoods donate a lot to the schools as well. If I had a problem child, I think I would go Shadyside (male), Ellis (female), but I worry about them growing up around only wealthy kids. That is a disadvantage because knowing how to deal with the poorer lower class kids is more in line with reality. No matter who you are you can't completely protect yourself from the lower class/uneducated people, so it is an education to be around them in school.

I do want to mention if you are okay with a boarding school, Kiski Prep is certainly an amazing school.
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Old 10-27-2015, 11:06 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gg View Post
I am not convinced a private school would be better to be honest. I think some kids would benefit from the change, but well funded schools like FC, NA, Mt. Lebo and others have a TON of amenities. I know FC has a couple of 3-D printers laying around that are extremely expensive. People in the wealthier neighborhoods donate a lot to the schools as well. If I had a problem child, I think I would go Shadyside (male), Ellis (female), but I worry about them growing up around only wealthy kids. That is a disadvantage because knowing how to deal with the poorer lower class kids is more in line with reality. No matter who you are you can't completely protect yourself from the lower class/uneducated people, so it is an education to be around them in school.

I do want to mention if you are okay with a boarding school, Kiski Prep is certainly an amazing school.
This comes off a little high brow but I know what you are getting at. I have also heard some less than stellar things about the outdated curriculum at private schools, in addition to the low wages that teachers receive, which could lead to sub-par instruction.
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Old 10-27-2015, 11:18 AM
gg
 
Location: Pittsburgh
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lettert View Post
This comes off a little high brow but I know what you are getting at. I have also heard some less than stellar things about the outdated curriculum at private schools, in addition to the low wages that teachers receive, which could lead to sub-par instruction.
Yep, but I will say my year at Kiski was much better than my public school. Still I didn't go to one of the better ones like FC. Yeah, it sounds highbrow, but being around kids from different financial backgrounds would be part of an educational experience. A sheltered private school can't provide that, unless of course they have field trips to um (insert your choice of poverty filled neighborhood here). That would be a hoot. I can see it now, a teacher and a few security personnel for safety with students in tow. The teacher saying, "this is how the lower class lives and why you need to study hard and concentrate in class, or you may end up here".
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Old 10-27-2015, 11:41 AM
 
1,577 posts, read 1,272,224 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gg View Post
Yep, but I will say my year at Kiski was much better than my public school. Still I didn't go to one of the better ones like FC. Yeah, it sounds highbrow, but being around kids from different financial backgrounds would be part of an educational experience. A sheltered private school can't provide that, unless of course they have field trips to um (insert your choice of poverty filled neighborhood here). That would be a hoot. I can see it now, a teacher and a few security personnel for safety with students in tow. The teacher saying, "this is how the lower class lives and why you need to study hard and concentrate in class, or you may end up here".
This is a great piece that helped open up my eyes to issues like these form This American Life

"There’s a program that brings together kids from two schools. One school is public and in the country’s poorest congressional district. The other is private and costs $43,000/year. They are three miles apart. The hope is that kids connect, but some of the public school kids just can’t get over the divide. We hear what happens when you get to see the other side and it looks a lot better."

Three Miles | This American Life
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Old 10-27-2015, 11:56 AM
 
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This past weekend, I had the pleasure of chatting with this delightful young lady and her parents:

A student's pursuit of happiness: Why I traded exclusive private education for a city high school | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Interesting perspective on leaving private school for public.
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Old 10-27-2015, 12:00 PM
gg
 
Location: Pittsburgh
26,137 posts, read 25,783,846 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lettert View Post
This is a great piece that helped open up my eyes to issues like these form This American Life

"There’s a program that brings together kids from two schools. One school is public and in the country’s poorest congressional district. The other is private and costs $43,000/year. They are three miles apart. The hope is that kids connect, but some of the public school kids just can’t get over the divide. We hear what happens when you get to see the other side and it looks a lot better."

Three Miles | This American Life
I suspect the lack of trust would be there from the poorer students towards the wealthier ones on many levels. Can't blame them there, that is for sure. Kids by nature are often pretty cruel in creating their little pecking order. Interesting study. I don't have time to have a listen to it all right now, but thanks for the link.

If I had my choice between all wealthy or all poor, I would choose the all wealthy. People are products of their environments. For example. there are no doubt super bright kids in the worst school districts/neighborhoods that will never get out of their super high crime area because of no exposure. Shame, but true. I don't equate happiness to money, but living in a super high crime drug filled area is about as bad as it could get. I think the US has some of the worst places to live in the world.

Anyway, there are no doubt great success stories from great private schools and if I lived in the city, I would have gone private for my family. Glad I am in the burbs for that reason. Someday it may very well get equal in the city, but not yet, IMHO. Of course that is not a popular belief.
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Old 10-27-2015, 12:02 PM
 
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I'm a lurker but this topic brings me out of the dark.
We live in the Colfax feeder zone and can probably afford private schools mentioned above but just don't want to spend so much for a school education.
We were looking at the catholic private schools (We are not catholic and I went to catholic school in a diff country where I did not have to attend any religious classes, only mass a few times a year) and had a few questions:
Which of these schools are a little bit relaxed in their religious education- how many hours per week are we looking at? Tests?
Do they have options for non catholic students?
Do non catholic students feel isolated/ left out?
Any responses will be appreciated!
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Old 10-27-2015, 12:11 PM
 
8,090 posts, read 6,900,139 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chocodusk View Post
I'm a lurker but this topic brings me out of the dark.
We live in the Colfax feeder zone and can probably afford private schools mentioned above but just don't want to spend so much for a school education.
We were looking at the catholic private schools (We are not catholic and I went to catholic school in a diff country where I did not have to attend any religious classes, only mass a few times a year) and had a few questions:
Which of these schools are a little bit relaxed in their religious education- how many hours per week are we looking at? Tests?
Do they have options for non catholic students?
Do non catholic students feel isolated/ left out?
Any responses will be appreciated!
Are you considering Colfax at all? Have you visited?
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