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mynewplaceBleh. Blargh. Ergh.
I have mentioned here before that I live in a high-rent area due to better schools and proximity to work.
I drive past the high school every day on my way to drop Scarlett at the middle school.
I drive past Million Dollar homes, $500K townhouses, every make of car you can imagine. I noticed in the high school parking lot today a beautiful young lady locking her Mercedes SUV before crossing the street to school. I decided at that point to try and remember all the remarkable vehicles I spotted in the parking lot, driven by high school students, just to give you an idea of where we live. I saw a Hummer, the Benz, a BMW SUV, a 4 Runner, a Pathfinder, a Land Rover, and several Volvos. A new Bug, and an ancient Subaru wagon. (Smart parents, those! A Subaru will run forever.)
I have mentioned here before that I live in a high-rent area due to better schools and proximity to work.
I drive past the high school every day on my way to drop Scarlett at the middle school.
I drive past Million Dollar homes, $500K townhouses, every make of car you can imagine. I noticed in the high school parking lot today a beautiful young lady locking her Mercedes SUV before crossing the street to school. I decided at that point to try and remember all the remarkable vehicles I spotted in the parking lot, driven by high school students, just to give you an idea of where we live. I saw a Hummer, the Benz, a BMW SUV, a 4 Runner, a Pathfinder, a Land Rover, and several Volvos. A new Bug, and an ancient Subaru wagon. (Smart parents, those! A Subaru will run forever.)
What does this have to do with anything, you ask? My child has attended three grade schools. In the first two, the lists of items we were required to send the first week of school encompassed EVERYTHING from several boxes of tissues, several bottles of hand sanitizer, snacks, to the standard paper, crayons, pencils, notebooks, index cards, etc. Of course there were fundraisers, extra costs for school activities and field trips. In the first school there was one black child in her class. ONE. Hardly representative of the world at large. In the second school the proportion of African-American children to Caucasian was about 60/40. More representative of the world at large, although there were perhaps six Asian students in her school. There were plenty of bi-racial students, though.
In the third school, where she attended two years, and in the middle school of the same area, the proportion is roughly 40/20/20/20. Caucasian, African-American, Asian, and other, including high numbers of East Asian (Indian & Pakistani) and various Muslim countries. Second benefit was the presence of a strings program if your student chose to participate, as well as an extensive musical and art program for ALL students. The strings go right up to high school orchestra. The benefit I found unexpectedly was this: there was NO list of supplies at the beginning of the year. Of course we purchased things, notebooks, backpacks, etc., but all supplies were also provided. When we were unable to come up with the entire cost of her Williamsburg trip, and other trips, a word to her principal was all that was needed. Assistance was gracious and generous.
Sounds like I'm taking advantage, I guess. Well, I am. The diversity was the primary reason I wanted to move specifically to this area. I did NOT want my child to grow up like I did, neither racially nor educationally.
I grew up in an area of this county where black people were unexpected and usually lost. NONE in school. The only Jewish boy was there briefly and friendless. (except for me) Until I was in my 20's I mentally flinched when I passed a black person on the street downtown. I never felt they were harmful or bad in anyway, they were simply unexpected - despite the fact that "downtown" was where many of them lived and worked. I was not even aware that Asians were a different race until I was about that age. I thought it merely meant they came from another country. One of my best friends in grade school was Korean and Caucasian, and I didn't realize she was bi-racial until again, I was in my 20's.
I was insulated, but not in a good way. I HATED the prejudice I encountered in my family and neighborhood. I tried to fight it, but didn't really know how until I became an adult. I swore I would never allow my child to grow up that way, and overextended my finances to provide that opportunity. I see it as worth the money for the benefit of open-mindedness which will last her entire life. Sure, sometimes she's jealous and sad that her friends have all the latest electronic toys and big houses and so forth. And in high school lots of her friends will have cars and new Blackberries (or whatever it is at that point) and fully paid college tuitions. But still, she will see first hand other cultures in her friend's homes, and learn to eat naan and korma and paneer along with her fish sticks and french fries. That's part of the legacy I plan for my child, thanks to high rent in South Hills.
In the third school, where she attended two years, and in the middle school of the same area, the proportion is roughly 40/20/20/20. Caucasian, African-American, Asian, and other, including high numbers of East Asian (Indian & Pakistani) and various Muslim countries. Second benefit was the presence of a strings program if your student chose to participate, as well as an extensive musical and art program for ALL students. The strings go right up to high school orchestra. The benefit I found unexpectedly was this: there was NO list of supplies at the beginning of the year. Of course we purchased things, notebooks, backpacks, etc., but all supplies were also provided. When we were unable to come up with the entire cost of her Williamsburg trip, and other trips, a word to her principal was all that was needed. Assistance was gracious and generous.
Sounds like I'm taking advantage, I guess. Well, I am. The diversity was the primary reason I wanted to move specifically to this area. I did NOT want my child to grow up like I did, neither racially nor educationally.
I grew up in an area of this county where black people were unexpected and usually lost. NONE in school. The only Jewish boy was there briefly and friendless. (except for me) Until I was in my 20's I mentally flinched when I passed a black person on the street downtown. I never felt they were harmful or bad in anyway, they were simply unexpected - despite the fact that "downtown" was where many of them lived and worked. I was not even aware that Asians were a different race until I was about that age. I thought it merely meant they came from another country. One of my best friends in grade school was Korean and Caucasian, and I didn't realize she was bi-racial until again, I was in my 20's.
I was insulated, but not in a good way. I HATED the prejudice I encountered in my family and neighborhood. I tried to fight it, but didn't really know how until I became an adult. I swore I would never allow my child to grow up that way, and overextended my finances to provide that opportunity. I see it as worth the money for the benefit of open-mindedness which will last her entire life. Sure, sometimes she's jealous and sad that her friends have all the latest electronic toys and big houses and so forth. And in high school lots of her friends will have cars and new Blackberries (or whatever it is at that point) and fully paid college tuitions. But still, she will see first hand other cultures in her friend's homes, and learn to eat naan and korma and paneer along with her fish sticks and french fries. That's part of the legacy I plan for my child, thanks to high rent in South Hills.
