Good and bad areas in some cities of Alameda county?

[jade408]

Originally Posted by lmk1707

About 20% of the top 100 public schools in the country are in California, including these in the Bay Area:

Lynbrook High School, San Jose - #98
Saratoga High School, Saratoga - #93
Miramonte High School, Orinda - #89
Campolindo High School, Moraga - #86
Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto - #83
Piedmont High School, Piedmont - #73
Monta Vista High School, Cupertino - #70
Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto - #67
Mission San Jose High School, Fremont - #36
Lowell High School, San Francisco - #28

I only see one South Carolina school on that list, Academic Magnet at #12.

source

Anecdotally, I could also tell you that my school (which isn't on this list) didn't pooh pooh Ivy Leagues, and several of my friends ended up matriculating at Ivy League and other prestigious schools on the East Coast.

These schools are all in well-off areas. I expect schools where the parents have high incomes and went college to do well. That's pretty much guaranteed. In SC schools where 50% of students have parents did not go to college, can have high achieving students.

I am disappointed in CA schools, because middle class areas do not have great schools. To have great schools, you need to live in a neighborhood where the average home price is $750k+ and household incomes are $150k. In SC, living an an area where the household income is $30-35k will let you afford a neighborhood with good to very good schools.

[Taboo2]

Originally Posted by Ceece

I don't think San Lorenzo ever "sucked". It was just a quiet, bedroom community of small and mostly well kept houses. I was born and raised there and bought my first home and had my kids there. We eventually moved to the Tri-Valley becasue we could afford something newer and nicer, but I still have family there. Between Hayward, San Leandro and San Lorenzo I'd pick San Lorenzo in a heart beat.

No I like SLZ the city or whatever it is, the School SLZ High- I was talking about- sucked. It had no redeeming qualities and the kids from Ashland were terrors.

I like SLZ although it has gone downhill as well. Bohannon and Edendale are not such good schools.

Some parts of SLZ are ok, just like parts of Hayward up in the hills are ok too. It is the schools that is such a deal breaker for me.

We own a business in this area but cannot live near it for the crappy ass schools.

[lmk1707]

Originally Posted by jade408

These schools are all in well-off areas. I expect schools where the parents have high incomes and went college to do well. That's pretty much guaranteed. In SC schools where 50% of students have parents did not go to college, can have high achieving students.

I am disappointed in CA schools, because middle class areas do not have great schools. To have great schools, you need to live in a neighborhood where the average home price is $750k+ and household incomes are $150k. In SC, living an an area where the household income is $30-35k will let you afford a neighborhood with good to very good schools.

It would be interesting to see a schools performance list that took into account household income, number of ESL learners, and area affordability vs. school performance. I know that with properly motivated parents, kids can do well anywhere, as there are some great teachers in the Bay Area, but it would be interesting to see how kids can get on that track without much guidance at home, and how the schools can contribute.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by lmk1707

It would be interesting to see a schools performance list that took into account household income, number of ESL learners, and area affordability vs. school performance. I know that with properly motivated parents, kids can do well anywhere, as there are some great teachers in the Bay Area, but it would be interesting to see how kids can get on that track without much guidance at home, and how the schools can contribute.

I agree. We all know it is easier to have a high performing school with motivated parents with more disposable income. I'd love to see the ranking of real middle income areas and the schools. (Where income/cost of living match up.)

There are great teachers everywhere, but having a few good teachers isn't enough. A friend of mine recently headed back to school after 3 years of teaching (she was about to get laid off here) and she realized that some of here colleagues were no longer excited about teaching and it was impacting her motivation. She is learning a lot and regaining her motivation.

[Tom Tian]

We are relocating to Pleasanton area and looking for a reputable high school for our child. We have thought to rent near Mission San Jose High School, but could not find any apartment or townhouse which belongs to that school Can anyone shed some lights on which school is better and why? We are moving from NY.

[Ceece]

Originally Posted by Tom Tian

We are relocating to Pleasanton area and looking for a reputable high school for our child. We have thought to rent near Mission San Jose High School, but could not find any apartment or townhouse which belongs to that school Can anyone shed some lights on which school is better and why? We are moving from NY.

Rent in Pleasanton and you will get either Foothill HS or Amador Valley HS and avoid a commute. It doesn't get much better than that.