I agree with Dustyfeathers, as a parent who sent two kids to diverse NYC public schools. The options and opportunities are absolutely staggering. It was a through a school program that my son met the well-known and accomplished music teacher who would give him private lessons for many years and open up a world of experiences that we couldn’t even imagine. Absolutely life-changing. One of my kids had all the choices - top one-percenter in her year, so she had the special admissions round for high school, accepted into Stuyvesant and Bard, private high school scholarships. Chose a program in a majority black school and had a magnificent experience. She now holds a master’s degree and a fabulous job and credits her attendance in that program with all her success. Many of the kids who went through with her come back to the school and bring their experiences and expertise to the next generation. More than a few eventually come back to teach there. Very special.
Two caveats: navigating the admissions processes for NYC schools can be beyond challenging. I mean really challenging and requiring of time, expertise, and assistance. It is not a process for the uninformed or the delicate. The vast majority of kids find wonderful fits, but the families have to know what to do and when to do it. Not easy, and then there are people with agendas that make it tougher.
Also, it is an open secret that when programs pull more affluent kids into less affluent schools, the kids are often segregated within the schools and receive benefits not available to everyone. I’ve said for years and still say that frequently the pull of affluent kids is about numbers on reports, not actual education of human beings.