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<p>Interesting. Especially considering LaGuardia weighs its admission decisions on the quality of one’s audition in a process similar to my LAC’s Conservatory’s evaluation process. </p>
<p>Could you please elaborate more on what you mean by “demographic reasons”? </p>
<p>I think that at least part of the responsibility of being in the “know” has to be thrown back to parents and the students themselves when they get older.</p>
<p>Yes, there are language barriers that can get in the way of things and certain programs that are just not known to some families, but I can’t tell you how many parents don’t even show up for parent/ teacher conferences in my elite suburb school district just outside of NYC.</p>
<p>All the outreach in the world won’t matter if a parent doesn’t prioritize education. I see it in my own suburban neighborhood. Most parents are college educated themselves, but many parents are not interested enough to look into programs available to their children that they can afford. There is a big divide between parents who research opportunities and those that are apathetic. There are also children who are self starters and those who aren’t interested.</p>
<p>It is not always making the playing field level–it’s also the fact that some people just aren’t interested.</p>
<p>The thing about the NYC high school process (which is vile) is that the public outreach starts a year in advance. An entire year. There are workshops, mandatory meetings, mailings, books, and the homeroom teacher will call the parents on the phone if there isn’t a sure admit on the bottom of the list. And STILL educated, affluent parents will roll the dice with their kids’ admissions. I think true ignorance in this specific context is very rare.</p>
<p>@uskoolfish
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<p>That usually doesn’t happen by accident. Any most apathetic parents are quick to blame a lack of it on genetics, etc.</p>
<p>You touched on a good point about suburban parents. They’re college educated, good jobs and have homes that send their kids to great schools. What more do you possibly want from them??! Well, all of that puts them in an ENVIRONMENT to succeed but there’s a lot more parenting left to do. From what I see, very few parents get this. The ones that do get it send all of their kids to fantastic schools and make it look effortless. But it wasn’t effortless, it took full-time parenting from age 0-14 to position their kids to be self-starters and disciplined in high school.</p>
<p>zooserman, I am afraid I have heard of much worse experiences than you have–guidance counselors who didn’t have a clue or went on leave and not replaced, leaving kids on their own; lots of ignorance all around about the process and the chances. Yes, some well-educated, affluent parents roll the dice and don’t consider all the acceptable options but sometimes there just aren’t acceptable options, especially for kids below the top level but totally within the realm of average and above-average. It is an extremely complicated system and I have heard misinformation from many people employed by the Dept. of Education, including once by the principal of one of those high schools that receive zillions of applications.</p>
<p>I am very glad to be FINISHED with NYC school choice!</p>
<p>GullLake, personality does come into play. I have two children who are the embodiment of self-starters, very high achievers. We always supervised homework, attended every parent-teacher conference, provided enrichment and support up the wazoo. However, my third child is not a self-starter, to put it mildly, despite the same environment. He is sloppy, sometimes disorganized, sometimes procrastinates, but his music can move you and touch you and bring you joy.</p>
<p>I do believe there are kids who are self-starters and will succeed despite obstacles and lack of parental support. And then there are those who have opportunities handed to them that don’t take advantage. Most kids are in the middle and need parental guidance to set goals.</p>
<p>oldmom, aren’t your kids around the same ages as my older ones, early 20s?</p>
<p>zoosermom, just graduated from high school, leaving for college in less than 2 weeks.</p>
<p>My one and only.</p>
<p>Oh hey, congratulations!! I was thinking of someone else with two older kids. You are right that we’ve been really lucky for the most part, but I think the system as a whole does a pretty good job of providing information about the high school process. It’s not a perfect system, by any means, but what could be serving so many people of such varied needs and abilities.</p>
<p>Zoosermom I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.</p>
<p>Nothing wrong with that! Imagine how boring this forum would be if everyone agreed on everything.</p>
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<p>One background to this difference is that she’s in a Staten Island enclave with an environment/culture more resembling those of NJ suburbs or similar heavily suburban neighborhoods like Bayside, Queens than being representative of most areas in the 4 boroughs of NYC. Heck, some on Staten Island even tried to secede from NYC back when I was in college. :D</p>
<p>While she’s disputed that by saying parts of Staten Island has diversified and she has a point in a few areas, especially those close to the SI Ferry terminal, there are still areas which are still far removed from the rest of NYC in many ways. </p>
<p>And those differences were much more stark 2+ decades ago from my visits and recalling the mutual contempt where non-SI NYC residents joked about SI being the odd borough out and Staten Islanders having a strong measure of contempt for the rest of us living in the other 4 boroughs. </p>
<p>cobrat, I don’t think that’s fair. Talk about stereotyping!</p>
<p>cobrat is unaware that the schools on Staten Island are the most integrated in the City per the NY Times in 2012. But facts have never gotten in his way. And, again, what does 2+ decades ago have to do with anything now?You are pushing, if you haven’t hit, 40, it’s time to let go of your past and embrace the present and future. Cobrat, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. None whatsoever. It’s actually kind of sad and pathetic now. Since cobrat graduated from high school 25 years ago, the NYC Public school system has undergone at least four changes of high school application process, as well as untold other changes, but Cobrat seems unable to comprehend that life has gone on for the City, its citizens, and its students even if it hasn’t for him.</p>
<p>All this minor stuff aside, cobrat, can you please tell me whether your name should be pronounced Cobra-T, like a rapper, or Cob Rat, or maybe Co-Brat? That’s what I really want to know, personally.</p>
<p>Zoosermom,</p>
<p>While that may be true, according to the 2013 census figures, Staten Island has the following demographics:</p>
<p>White: 77.6%</p>
<p>White(Non-Hispanic): 63.2%</p>
<p>Hispanic: 17.9%</p>
<p>Black: 11.8%</p>
<p>Asian: 8%</p>
<p>2 or more races: 1.9%</p>
<p>Home ownership: 69% (Above NYC Median)</p>
<p>Median value of home: $449,400 (Above NYC median)</p>
<p>Median Income: $73,496 (Above NYC median)</p>
<p><a href=“http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36085.html”>http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36085.html</a></p>
<p>Figures which confirmed my own impressions of Staten Island not being as representative of NYC as the other 4 boroughs outside of some suburban-like neighborhoods like Bayside. </p>
<p>We are talking about schools here cobrat. Try to keep up. And I have done the high school process three times for schools in three boroughs in recent years, including two years ago. What have you done in terms of high school admissions in the last 25 years? Since you don’t have kids, the answer is nothing that you haven’t made up. So get informed properly so you can know when you do have kids what should happen.</p>
<p>Staten Island looks a lot like Manhattan except for home ownership and Hispanic population.:
According to the 2010 Census,
65% of the population was non-Hispanic White
18.4% Black
12.1% Asian
25.8% Hispanic
2 or more races 3.1%
Median value of home $827,300
Home ownership 22.6%</p>
<p>Does Staten Island have more single family homes than Manhattan? Of course it does - but there are plenty of other parts of NY that look a lot like Staten Island, such as large parts of the north Bronx. They just aren’t as well defined because they aren’t islands. </p>
<p>Large parts of southern Brooklyn too.</p>