Deutschtown gentrification? City doesn't think so (Harmony: living, shop, parking)

[that412]

Yeah I in no way, shape, or form feel as though my opportunities to be successful in life were limited by going to a PPS high school, and I am certain that many of my peers who came the entire way through the PPS system do not feel differently.

[robrobrob]

Originally Posted by that412

FWIW a close family friend who has worked in the admissions dept. of a very prestigious college has told me that schools generally find success out of a "bad" school district much more interesting than success out of a "good" school district.

I get this but frankly Allderdice isn't a bad of a school. So, I am not sure that the valedictorian will get some sort of bump because he or she came from Allderdice and not Mt. Lebanon.

Some time ago, I remember reading about the Wilkinsburg High School valedictorian going to school that wasn't even close to a top college. One would think that a kid from Wilkinsburg would have that interesting background that a top college would want. Thanks to google, I found this:

Among the circumstances which the board alleges that it would prove, given an opportunity, are the following: 1. The 1992 high school valedictorian in the Wilkinsburg School District had a grade point average of 2.667 (out of 4.0). Of the 1995 graduating class, the two highest averages were 3.125 and 3.0 and the third was 2.684. 2. Of forty students who took the Scholastic Aptitude Test between June of 1993 and June of 1994, which has a scale of 400 to 1600 (maximum), only one scored above the national average (950) on the combined math and verbal portions of the examination. The Wilkinsburg average was below 690.

This came from a 1995 PA Supreme Court case where Wilkinsburg tried to outsource the operation of one of its schools.

[RogersParkTransplant]

The situation at Wilkinsburg is very sad, yes. But the point about college admissions is that a kid with a 4.0 from Wilkinsburg would have an easier chance getting in to an Ivy than a kid with a 4.0 from Fox Chapel. The fact that no such student exists is sad, yes...but it reflects the kids who are there, not the potential of the school itself. Once the demographics improve, so will the school.

Things are tough at Wilkinsburg, and that is a whole other discussion. But I am talking specifically about PPS, which is a good district, just not a fancy one. And my own experience in teaching has shown me that students at all levels can do as well at a good school as they can at a great school. A bad school is a different problem; that's a whole other issue, but sadly enough it really is about socio-economic factors and not much else.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

I get this but frankly Allderdice isn't a bad of a school. So, I am not sure that the valedictorian will get some sort of bump because he or she came from Allderdice and not Mt. Lebanon.

Perhaps, but there's still two variables here.

1. The college in question may not know the reputation of individual high schools, and only look at district-wide averages.

2. A lot of top colleges look for diversity in geography - meaning they tend to disfavor applicants from standard top suburbs, and favor applicants who come from cities and rural areas, regardless of the average performance levels of the schools in question. They also attempt to balance geographically, to the extent feasible.

[tclifton]

Originally Posted by RogersParkTransplant

False choice. There are many factors giving them the best chance to succeed, and many definitions of success. I am confident that my kids are doing perfectly fine right here in PPS, thank you very much.

Ok...well, I wish them well regardless.

[RogersParkTransplant]

Originally Posted by that412

Yeah I in no way, shape, or form feel as though my opportunities to be successful in life were limited by going to a PPS high school, and I am certain that many of my peers who came the entire way through the PPS system do not feel differently.

It's good to read this. I'd like to think you also don't feel as though your parents weren't deeply invested in giving you the best possible childhood, just because they made the decision to raise you in the city.

[that412]

Originally Posted by RogersParkTransplant

It's good to read this. I'd like to think you also don't feel as though your parents weren't deeply invested in giving you the best possible childhood, just because they made the decision to raise you in the city.

Frankly, I know they were deeply invested in giving me the best possible childhood precisely because they decided to raise me in the city.

I feel very strongly that 1) exposure to a wider diversity of people different from oneself and 2) learning independence and self-reliance from things like being able to explore a greater geographical area on your own and not having to depend on parents' cars to get everywhere are critical factors in growing up that are much harder to come by in a less urban environment, and these things can more than make up for whatever perceived gap there is in formal education.

[erieguy]

Interesting theory. The more I read here however, it sounds like those who are raised in the city and stay in the city, rarely leave the city to explore a world outside of it. As far as exploring geographical areas, it's a lot easier to do in a car. Not really a good idea whether you're in the city or suburbia to let small children explore on their own. As one gets older it's easy enough to bike, walk, or get a ride most anywhere a kid needs to go.

[that412]

Originally Posted by erieguy

Interesting theory. The more I read here however, it sounds like those who are raised in the city and stay in the city, rarely leave the city to explore a world outside of it. As far as exploring geographical areas, it's a lot easier to do in a car. Not really a good idea whether you're in the city or suburbia to let small children explore on their own. As one gets older it's easy enough to bike, walk, or get a ride most anywhere a kid needs to go.

My god, it's like there's a bat signal in these threads.

So, what age do you consider it "safe" for kids to start exploring on their own? I, and most of my friends, were really let off the leash at around 9 or 10. That's still a good 6+ years at minimum before we could drive on our own (and that's assuming you had means of getting your own car).

[RogersParkTransplant]

Originally Posted by erieguy

Interesting theory. The more I read here however, it sounds like those who are raised in the city and stay in the city, rarely leave the city to explore a world outside of it. As far as exploring geographical areas, it's a lot easier to do in a car. Not really a good idea whether you're in the city or suburbia to let small children explore on their own. As one gets older it's easy enough to bike, walk, or get a ride most anywhere a kid needs to go.

1) We pile in the car and go North about once a week. We especially enjoy Coffee Buddha food truck round ups and sometimes we shop on McKnight road. I sometimes grade papers at the Starbucks in the Barnes and Noble while husband shops at Cranberry's CostCo. We went to an awesome picnic in North Park this past spring. Sometimes this one grumpy guy glares at me in the Starbucks, and I wonder if that's you.

2) About twice a week, we pile the kids into the city bus and ride down to the Allegheny Center playgrounds, or we walk down to Deutschtown as a family. Being able to ride the bus (free for us through our jobs, free for the kids always) to downtown and the stadiums is fantastic. We talk to the kids a lot about safety in the city and we teach them street smarts. They treat all adults, of all colors and all socio-economic backgrounds, with the same basic respect. We have had some tough but honest discussions about Light of Life ministry and similar urban problems. We walk to the farmer's market on Fridays and take the bus home. In a few years the kids will be able to do this on their own, and they will be able to do it well because they are not tourists in this city. They belong here.

3) We love watching city fireworks from home and feeling close to the Pirates games every night