School districts outside of Boston that are good but not "pressure cookers"?

[sblumberg]

I grappled with this school pressure question when we were researching towns, and ultimately I came to the conclusion that:

- Being in a town where schools feel the pressure to remain competitive, top in the state is actually a good thing - a really good thing..

- I would rather my child be challenged by being around motivated, driven and intellectual peers. I would not make a choice based on a perceived peer pressure by bright motivated kids.

- It is up to me as a parent to apply and relieve pressure based on my children's unique personalities

My experience is that kids really can not avoid the pressure these days. It comes from so many places - not just the school system they are in. My believe is that it is up to us as parents to teach kids to cope with the pressure, and create reasonable expectations for themselves with a focus on fulfillment and happiness in life. I suppose that is why they say being a parent is the toughest job in the world...