[laulob]

Originally Posted by hvexpatinct

Discerning in what way, avoiding large ESL populations?

No picking better schools - I'm only talking about schools. For most young families when moving that is the top priority.

[hvexpatinct]

Originally Posted by laulob

No picking better schools - I'm only talking about schools. For most young families when moving that is the top priority.

I have a preschooler. I live in a less desirable, more diverse community, despite the fact that I can afford a house in Ridgefield. I am not getting the point.

[laulob]

Originally Posted by hvexpatinct

I have a preschooler. I live in a less desirable, more diverse community, despite the fact that I can afford a house in Ridgefield. I am not getting the point.

There are a lot of factors when looking at school systems. Test scores, class tracks offered, clubs, sports, extracurriculars. Diversity is not an issue - quality of education is. Some of the best schools in the country are diverse. When you are comparing a school system where 50-60 percent of the students are on grade level (in some cities it's only 30) to a system where 80-90 percent of the students are on grade level, you find that he latter school does not have to spend as much time and energy on remediation. They can move on to bigger and better things.

This is the reason that many of the science and tech elementary magnet schools do not draw the amount of kids from the suburbs intended. Often the ones that do only last a year. It isn't because they find the schools too diverse. It is because they realize that the classrooms are so far too busy remediating to get to the advanced science and tech they promised. There was actually study done at Yale in reference to this situation at the New Haven Magnet schools. I found it about 7 years ago for a friend who was having this realization with her soon in a magnet program. I can try to find it again and link.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by hvexpatinct

Discerning in what way, avoiding large ESL populations?

Danbury High School is one of the state's largest high schools with nearly 3,000 students. Danbury has 156.7 Full Time Equivalent teachers. In comparison, Ridgefield High School has 117.8 FTE teachers for under 1,700 students.

According to Edsight, the State's education website, Danbury High School has a high rate of chronic absenteeism (11.9%) and suspension and expulsion (18.7%). Ridgefield High School has an 8.5% rate of chronic absenteeism and 2.55% rate of expulsion.

In Danbury High School only 79.5% of the students complete high school in 4 years while Ridgefield it is 98.1%.

In Danbury only 31.7% of the students meet at least one college readiness exam while in Ridgefield it is 85.9%.

Finally Danbury High School has a rating of 69.0 in the state's Next Generation Accountability system while Ridgefield has a rating of 87.4.

I would say this kind of says it all when it comes to the quality of education a high school student can expect in each school system and it has little to do with avoiding ESL students. Jay

http://edsight.ct.gov/Output/School/...111_201516.pdf

http://edsight.ct.gov/Output/School/...111_201516.pdf

[Stylo]

Had a friend that moved from Danbury to Orange. Daughter in elementary school. He said the difference was staggering. All positive, but the problem is she literally jumped ahead a few grades in the challenge of the curriculum. So she struggled for a bit, but is doing better now.

[allanny13]

Originally Posted by hvexpatinct

I have a preschooler. I live in a less desirable, more diverse community, despite the fact that I can afford a house in Ridgefield. I am not getting the point.

That's the decision you have made for your child and reflects your values on importance of education vs diversity. Others might make a different decision based on their values (real estate prices show you're in the minority).

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by hvexpatinct

I have a preschooler. I live in a less desirable, more diverse community, despite the fact that I can afford a house in Ridgefield. I am not getting the point.

Don't listen to them Hvexpat, you do what you do, you know what's best for your preschooler.
For some reason some on here feel compelled to pat themselves on the back about how they are in homogeneous town school systems whenever someone just mentions alternatives, then post Captain Obvious comments and data that any breathing human already knows.

[hvexpatinct]

I think it is a mistake to conflate the highest achieving schools with the highest quality of education. I know parents who wouldn't dream of sending their kids to Avon HS or Simsbury HS, for example, and it isn't because of the lack of achievement culture so much as the lack of appropriate resources to educate that child. Danbury really might be the best bet for some kids for a variety of reasons.

I think one of the least attractive aspects about CT is the snobbery that comes up surrounding the general state of achievement here. Glad those people who are cleaning your houses and preparing your meals can be here so they can only afford to send their kids to those terrible urban schools. That viewpoint needs a reality check.

[hipstermomdanbury]

Another great thing about Danbury is that it has a growing former New Yorker community. I love these folks. They start businesses, are super active in sports, are outgoing and fun.


There are now several businesses that have imported Bronx, Queens, and NYC culinary delights.



Here's a great new one:


Bronx Buns, Bread


Bread from the Bronx to Danbury bakery - NewsTimes


These folks add to the hip/urban feel of Danbury.


We often gab and run into each other at our favorite bakeries and delis...I love this about Danbury!

[Stylo]

Gaetano's (Stratford, Westport, Monroe) brings in their bread from Arthur Ave in the Bronx every day.