SF equivalents to NY neighborhoods?

[sav858]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

Yet I graduated from Oakland High School and was offered an academic scholarship to Princeton? Apparently they didnt think that my being from an inner city school was a problem. Yes many students had problems excelling there, but not all.

My point is, as much as we like to say that schools are horrible, if your kid is nurtured outside the classroom and is attentive in the classroom, he or she can make it and succeed beyond your wildest dreams-no matter school they attend.

Of course, a learning environment condusive of success is always preferable. I'll admit that.

At the same time, It really irks me how we have the tendency to write off entire school districts as total failures when they actually do a lot of good.

Yes there are many EXCEPTIONS within in those schools, how many times do I need to repeat that? I am just generalizing and not talking about each specific individual student and not trying to dismiss the students from those inner city schools that do become successful and go onto to good schools and careers. I thought I had made that pretty clear already.

But when parents are looking for schools to send their kids with they are not looking for individual success stories from schools where many kids don't make it, they are looking for a good school OVERALL with a good learning ENVIRONMENT. Inner city schools tend to lack that.

Your and others individual success stories doesn't make the test scores or the school overall any better than it is, it is what it is whether you can accept that or not. I'm sure people from crappy schools and districts get a little defensive about their education, understandable but they need to get over it.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by City Boy

An A is an A.

No it's not at all, go ask any academic counselor, college admissions, etc... about that. An 'A' at my high school means a lot more than an 'A' at some poor performing inner city high school, at least for college admissions.

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by sav858

No it's not at all, go ask any academic counselor, college admissions, etc... about that. An 'A' at my high school means a lot more than an 'A' at some poor performing inner city high school, at least for college admissions.

I went to an inner city high school. Any adviser with common sense will give a kid with less opportunity who did obtain good grades a chance in college.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by City Boy

I went to an inner city high school.

And your point with that?

Any adviser with common sense will give a kid with less opportunity who did obtain good grades a chance in college.

I'm not saying that a kid with good grades from an inner city school can't get into college or anything like that, stop reading so much into it. But the fact of the matter is than all grades are not created equal whether you'd like to admit that or not.

Trying to pretend that all schools and their academics are equal is like saying that Chico State is just as good as Harvard.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by sav858

Yes there are many EXCEPTIONS within in those schools, how many times do I need to repeat that? I am just generalizing and not talking about each specific individual student and not trying to dismiss the students from those inner city schools that do become successful and go onto to good schools and careers. I thought I had made that pretty clear already.

But when parents are looking for schools to send their kids with they are not looking for individual success stories from schools where many kids don't make it, they are looking for a good school OVERALL with a good learning ENVIRONMENT. Inner city schools tend to lack that.

Your and others individual success stories doesn't make the test scores or the school overall any better than it is, it is what it is whether you can accept that or not. I'm sure people from crappy schools and districts get a little defensive about their education, understandable but they need to get over it.

I dont disagree with anything you say.

Obviously coming from that environment Im going to be extremely biased and defensive because of my personal experience but at the same time, numbers do speak for themselves.

However,
Because I come from there, I also know that numbers just dont paint a picture that is totally accurate. They just dont.

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by sav858

And your point with that?

I'm not saying that a kid with good grades from an inner city school can't get into college or anything like that, stop reading so much into it. But the fact of the matter is than all grades are not created equal whether you'd like to admit that or not.

Trying to pretend that all schools and their academics are equal is like saying that Chico State is just as good as Harvard.

My Point was that I got into USF from an inner city school. USF is a school full of kids of world advisor's and private rich 4.23 GPA and up catholic up bringing's. What difference does it make. I have people who went to Yale Working for me. It does not matter where you get your degree from it matters that you have one.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

I dont disagree with anything you say.

Obviously coming from that environment Im going to be extremely biased and defensive because of my personal experience but at the same time, numbers do speak for themselves.

However,
Because I come from there, I also know that numbers just dont paint a picture that is totally accurate. They just dont.

I totally understand where you and Cityboy are coming from and you are right about how people can totally dismiss a school or entire district b/c of poor performance and choose not to live there b/c of that. If you pay enough attention to your child and guide them properly they can end up just as successful as the smartest kid from the richest and highest rated school district. I have cousins that went to the crappy Vallejo schools where some did well and went onto college, just like I did in my much better school district. People will always generalize about these issues and will more times than not fail to see the good that comes out of these poor performing schools.

And honestly I feel the failure of many schools and school districts in large part has to do with the people and community overall rather than just the teachers and classroom. If someone wants to learn and succeed it doesn't always matter where you go, you can do well and succeed at any school but some just might be tougher than others.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by City Boy

My Point was that I got into USF from an inner city school. USF is a school full of kids of world advisor's and private rich 4.23 GPA and up catholic up bringing's. What difference does it make. I have people who went to Yale Working for me. It does not matter where you get your degree from it matters that you have one.

the difference is that you going to a good college, or college at all, from an inner city school is the exception rather than the norm. As for me, going to college from a well rated school is the norm rather than the exception.

While just getting a degree is the most important thing, it does matter somewhat where it came from. Doesn't mean that you or I can't get just a good of a job as someone from an Ivy League, but coming from a school like Stanford or Princeton does give you somewhat of an advantage, whether it is a real advantage or just perceived.

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by sav858

the difference is that you going to a good college, or college at all, from an inner city school is the exception rather than the norm. As for me, going to college from a well rated school is the norm rather than the exception.

While just getting a degree is the most important thing, it does matter somewhat where it came from. Doesn't mean that you or I can't get just a good of a job as someone from an Ivy League, but coming from a school like Stanford or Princeton does give you somewhat of an advantage, whether it is a real advantage or just perceived.

I agree, I guess my point was that there are good students in inner city schools and if they do good in these schools they can get into just about any college they try for.

As for the relevance of where a degree is obtained from I beg to differ and it's a matter of opinion. Some of the best doctors did not go to Yale or Harvard Medical school as with many successful people with BA's or upper graduate degree's. If an employer went to the same school as you that is more of a factor.