Breakdown of commute times (Bethel Park, Lebanon: house, buying, school districts)

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Tell that to the mother who recently posted a thread about trying to get her child out of Colfax. The East End is the most desirable city public school area and it's not really working out for her family.

Either way, the OP is coming from Vermont. Ever been to Vermont? The entire state has 600k people. It's very rural. Their cities are like our small towns. If she wanted to live in the city, she would have asked about it.

I would tell her that a large, urban school district provides her with far more options with regard to her child's education than many suburban districts do.

I have been to Vermont, several times and I have no idea why someone from Vermont automatically wouldn't want to live in a city neighborhood. They mentioned Mt. Lebanon as an original option, not exactly the sticks. Perhaps they've secretly resented their rural living situation and longed for a different experience? Maybe they're from the Montpelier hood? Who knows, I sure don't. My Grandmother was born in a small mining town outside of Johnstown, moved to Brooklyn at the age of 40 and found it liberating.

[ex-burgher]

I don't understand how you can make a judgement about Colfax based on one parent. Allderdice high school sends students to the Ivy League and other top schools every year. If a child is an achiever, he/she can do very well in many of the city's schools. I would agree that if your child lacks motivation to suceed academically, a top-ranked suburban school may be better.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Lobick

I would tell her that a large, urban school district provides her with far more options with regard to her child's education than many suburban districts do.

Go tell her that! Post in her thread!

//www.city-data.com/forum/pitts...-waitlist.html

She says that Colfax is so so. Tell her she doesn't know what she's talking about even though her kids go to school there.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by ex-burgher

I don't understand how you can make a judgement about Colfax based on one parent. Allderdice high school sends students to the Ivy League and other top schools every year. If a child is an achiever, he/she can do very well in many of the city's schools. I would agree that if your child lacks motivation to suceed academically, a top-ranked suburban school may be better.

I'm not basing it on one parent. I have many friends who live in the East End. All of them sent their children to private schools. The one family that broke the norm sent their children to Allderdice, but not k-8 public. They all chose to pay 18k+ per child per year for a reason---they didn't like the public schools and could afford private schools.

Allderdice is sending students to Ivy League schools for various reasons. Parents paying for a private education prior to their attending Allderdice is one reason. Chances are great their parents are alumni too. It's not much different from Fox Chapel and Mt Lebo sending kids to Ivy League schools. It has little to do with the school districts and more to do with their parents' wealth, intelligence, expectations, connections, and committment to their children's educations.

Just sending your kids to Fox Chapel, Mt. Lebo, and Allderdice high schools won't get them into Ivy League. LOL The actual school has very little to do with why they are achieving.

Success breeds success. Successful parents will more likely have successful children. Successful parents live in certain neighborhoods, and their children improve the statistics at the schools, but that doesn't mean the schools are truly much better. Their children would likely get into Ivy League schools even if they attended average public schools.

Considering the overall demographic of Allderdice, I suspect that a large percentage never make it to college at all since it's a high school with extreme wealth and extreme poverty.

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Go tell her that! Post in her thread!

//www.city-data.com/forum/pitts...-waitlist.html

She says that Colfax is so so. Tell her she doesn't know what she's talking about even though her kids go to school there.

Should I similarly seek out any parent who is dissatisfied with the education they are receiving in the countless suburban school districts and provide unsolicited advice. I'll leave that to you and your ilk.

I read the thread. Didn't actually see a question posed. Just saw you revealing in an anecdote that confirmed your preformed bias.

Just keep spinning the fairly tale, responsible parents must live in the suburbs for the sake of their children, feed the school districts with money so they can keep up with the Jones and justify their ponzi-scheme home valuations.

[ex-burgher]

I agree with Hopes and that was my point. If you have committed parents (and often who can afford frills outside of school), you will have a successful student in virtually any school except perhaps the truly awful ones. I often feel that the track record and test scores of individual schools have more to do with the student population than the school's actual quality. City schools score averages don't measure up to the suburbs (in any city) because they have a large disadvantaged population, but that does not mean a student can't get an excellent education in one.

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I'm not basing it on one parent. I have many friends who live in the East End. All of them sent their children to private schools. The one family that broke the norm sent their children to Allderdice, but not k-8 public. They all chose to pay 18k+ per child per year for a reason---they didn't like the public schools and could afford private schools.

So, your basis for the comparison are the 0 people that you know who sent their kids to city schools? Forgive me if I find that less than compelling or persuasive. It's pretty clear that the group think in your social circle suggests city schools are inadequate, but I would have guessed that anyway. It's how these beliefs are perpetuated.

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Allderdice is sending students to Ivy League schools for various reasons. Parents paying for a private education prior to their attending Allderdice is one reason. Chances are great their parents are alumni too. It's not much different from Fox Chapel and Mt Lebo sending kids to Ivy League schools. It has little to do with the school districts and more to do with their parents' wealth, intelligence, expectations, connections, and committment to their children's educations.

Just sending your kids to Fox Chapel, Mt. Lebo, and Allderdice high schools won't get them into Ivy League. LOL The actual school has very little to do with why they are achieving.

Success breeds success. Successful parents will more likely have successful children. Successful parents live in certain neighborhoods, and their children improve the statistics at the schools, but that doesn't mean the schools are truly much better. Their children would likely get into Ivy League schools even if they attended average public schools.

Considering the overall demographic of Allderdice, I suspect that a large percentage never make it to college at all since it's a high school with extreme wealth and extreme poverty.

This really is a stunning post in that I agree with almost all of it and it really undermines most of your previous assertions. So the takeaway is that, if children have attentive, involved and caring parents they can learn and achieve regardless of school district. Why, then would you recommend eliminating City neighborhoods from a home search if many other criteria (cost, commute, amenities, etc.) argued for their inclusion?

[raubre]

Where is Technology Drive?

[fleetiebelle]

It's that row of office buildings off of Second Avenue, kind of between the Birmingham Bridge and the Hot Metal Bridge.