You are totally on point (New Orleans, Metairie: crime, lawyers, magnet schools)

[Sittingredchair]

No one can stand to hear anyone critize New Orleans. I made so many bad life choices until I moved away to another part of the country. This town is over run by mental health issues....there is no real middle class ...just old or new money trying to push the poor down and trying to connect with the extreme wealthy.
The school system blows.
I have lived here my whole life and so grateful to come back to NOLA with fresh eyes.
You really said everything that needs to be said.
The critizing is basically what type of people u will find here. No one can bear to hear anything negative about this city.
This city is run by wealthy lawyers ....there is really no tools for the poor to get out from underneath .....it is probably becasue it is a tourist town and everyone just wants to party all the time....so someone has to serve the wealthy food and alcohol.
It is a city where any logical thought or moral standings are thrown out of the window....it is truley a town for those who are only interested in self service and networking with the very wealthy who are comically crooked.

[Metairie]

Nahhh way off. I too moved away recently, however I totally disagree. I was poor lower middle class most of my life in Nola and worked my way up to being the people you seem to loath. I believe the middle class has suffered in NOLA due to all the Mexican legal/illegal immigrants that moved in to help rebuild for low wages after Katrina. This cut the throats of locals as they had to take even lower wages and housing and crime got worse. In addition I do agree the school system is bad. The whole system needs a reboot. Many years ago the local gov starting bussing in kids from lower income areas to higher income area schools trying to make an equal playing field. This caused ALL the schools to go down hill. In other states certain areas are higher priced and parents rich and poor pay higher living costs to get into the better districts. Not the case in NOLA. I can pay $3 million in old Metairie and my kid still goes to a run down school with poor ratings. And the special needs program is the worse. Your child can be shipped off to any school in Jefferson parish based on numbers. He/sshe doesn't get to go to school peers that live near. Discrimination at its finest and not based on race. As far as people being mentally disturbed?? Every place has crazies, but I find the Nola people to be fun and light hearted. I see far more crazies in Denver.

[rburnett]

Originally Posted by Metairie

In other states certain areas are higher priced and parents rich and poor pay higher living costs to get into the better districts. Not the case in NOLA. I can pay $3 million in old Metairie and my kid still goes to a run down school with poor ratings. And the special needs program is the worse. Your child can be shipped off to any school in Jefferson parish based on numbers. He/sshe doesn't get to go to school peers that live near. Discrimination at its finest and not based on race. As far as people being mentally disturbed?? Every place has crazies, but I find the Nola people to be fun and light hearted. I see far more crazies in Denver.

I'm not sure what you are referring to. In Jefferson Parish, schools are setup by geographical districts, even the magnet schools. Metairie Academy is the #1 school in the state based on last years rankings.

New Orleans has open attendance.

[Metairie]

Originally Posted by rburnett

I'm not sure what you are referring to. In Jefferson Parish, schools are setup by geographical districts, even the magnet schools. Metairie Academy is the #1 school in the state based on last years rankings.

New Orleans has open attendance.

I'm referring to redistricting and the failing school system.