<p>Thanks for the thoughtful reply, beri. I have to say, though, that I wasn’t attempting to paint *anyone *with *any *brush–I posted *our *experience,and it was countered in such a way that I needed to further clarify. That’s all.</p>
<p>missypie–I was motivated in some part to go private (academic challenge being the primary motivator) by the near total lack of racial and SES diversity in the HPISD. And that’s where I attended back in the 1960s. Great police, fire, city services and not a shabby academic experience, but not much diversity now or then (although back then there was some economic diversity, there was NO racial diversity).</p>
<p>At HPISD High School, recent stats are 2063 enrolled of which 6 are AA, 65 are Hispanic and 32 are Asian.</p>
<p>We’ve been lucky to have some of those experiences at our public school too - as it happens Wynton Marsalis was a parent at our elementary school - he worked with a bunch of the top band kids one year and they performed at our International Dinner. Can’t say I chose the school knowing he was a parent though! (Especially since he was a divorced parent, so not around that much.)</p>
<p>Uh, Uncle Floyd’s kid went to pre-K with my D at the local Y…does that count? :)</p>
<p>(points to New Jerseyans who remember him.)</p>
<p>Sure, why not! :)</p>
<p>Sen. Tom Carper’s son went/goes to my school, I believe. (A public charter school, but certainly the best public HS in my small state.) It’s interesting to note which “known” personnages will choose private for lower exposure vs. positive publicity for enrolling in the public system.</p>
<p>I can’t think of a lot of celebrities in the Wynton Marsalis category ( although Quincy Jones is an alum of the public school my daughter attended-) and he recently came to a rededication of the performance hall bearing his name, as was Jimi Hendrix and many other musicians and artists-( ok now I have to go look it up- Debbie Armstrong- Brandon Roy and Isaiah Stanback are alums ( athletes), LL Cool J and I am pretty sure the BlueScholars are alums cause they play dances from time to time. Minoru Yamasaki—architect,Homer Harris & Fred Hutchinson ( baseball), Yasser Seirawan ( chess),</p>
<p>I just had a connection I never made before- Bill and Melinda Gates send their children to the elementary school her sister attended & Steve Jobs attended her college- funny. I did know Steve Jobs had gone there though because my neighbor who had told me they had good financial aid, said Steve was in his class. ( Adam Arkins daughter attended her high school, I never saw him, but his dad worked with the kids on writing projects)</p>
<p>We transferred to a “Fine Arts” magnet school in an adjacent town that still had a fairly rigorous AP and IB courseload for those who wished to take them. </p>
<p>My 4 kids did dance, drama, by-audition only choral ensembles, school musicals, IB/AP classes. . .plus other high school stuff like cross country, etc. Tonight we had a fall concert where my daughter is the Student President for the 6 choirs, and my son sang in a Barbershop quartet. . .its been a good fit. </p>
<p>(D1 is now a Senior at Baylor on full tuition scholarship, D2 is soph at UCLA, D3 is high school senior and applying to colleges this fall, S is a soph).</p>