Towns with good Schools in Bay Area

[mattja]

Originally Posted by Dad01

why pressure from south asians ?

They are high achievers and want their kids to have the chance to earn 4.15 GPAs if they are capable.

[Vision67]

Originally Posted by mattja

They are high achievers and want their kids to have the chance to earn 4.15 GPAs if they are capable.

Just a 4.15? Are you kidding?

Anything less than a straight A report card is totally unacceptable.

[roadwarrior101]

Originally Posted by Vision67

Just a 4.15? Are you kidding?

Anything less than a straight A report card is totally unacceptable.

Good example of teaching for the tests and high academic marks while severely lacking in extracurricular areas and leadership capabilities.

[vunderbar]

Originally Posted by roadwarrior101

Good example of teaching for the tests and high academic marks while severely lacking in extracurricular areas and leadership capabilities.

In other words, just like all of the developed world.

[roadwarrior101]

Originally Posted by vunderbar

In other words, just like all of the developed world.

Some regions more than others

[mattja]

Originally Posted by roadwarrior101

Good example of teaching for the tests and high academic marks while severely lacking in extracurricular areas and leadership capabilities.

That's been one of the complaints by American parents at schools that have turned majority Indian -- that academics and GPA have taken over and there is no support for sports and the arts. This is what happens when foreigners become the majority in your city.

[Dad01]

Originally Posted by mattja

That's been one of the complaints by American parents at schools that have turned majority Indian -- that academics and GPA have taken over and there is no support for sports and the arts. This is what happens when foreigners become the majority in your city.

Ive noticed that too , why is that ?

[Vision67]

Originally Posted by Dad01

Ive noticed that too , why is that ?

If your grandfather spent most of his life steering a plough while peering up the stinky end of an ox in order to to eek out a subsistence living, and your father risked his life fleeing to the USA as an immigrant to work in a laundry or restaurant and you have the opportunity of a lifetime to become the first engineer or doctor in your family, life gets very serious very quickly.

I know that because I experienced it. As a child, I slept on a concrete floor because my family with 7 siblings could barely afford to survive. My very stern father expected no less than a perfect report card. I actually feared for my life if I could not maintain my grades. Luckily, it all worked out very well for me.

The people who most appreciate American opportunity are those who came from places that held them down.

[AnythingOutdoors]

Originally Posted by Dad01

Ive noticed that too , why is that ?

I don't entirely agree with the very broad brush strokes being used here, because I know of plenty of exceptions and people aren't easily reduced to just race or origin. That said, there's an element of truth to some of it.

Western culture tends to view education more holistically -- the enrichment of the entire person to make them well rounded. This is very much a product of our privilege (by which I mean the environment we're born into, I don't mean it in a pejorative sense) of living in a society with wealth, economic opportunity, upward mobility, and a social safety net. And it's also part of the legacy of Christianity in the West and things like the Imago Dei (e.g. it was the church was instrumental in founding the first universities and the western educational system). While the US is FAR from perfect when it comes to providing for the most vulnerable, people generally don't starve to death and anyone can walk into an emergency room for care even if they have no money.

The reality in some parts of the world is very different. If one is surrounded by abject poverty with no social safety net and starvation is a very real possibility, then it's quite sensible to have an entirely utilitarian view of education. Because arts and sports aren't going to put food on the table.

So what I've observed is that many first generation immigrants have a very strong utilitarian view of education. Which I think is quite reasonable given their lived experience. Whereas the second and later generations are more likely to have a more holistic view. Not always, there are exceptions.

[Dad01]

immigrants usually tend to go for college degrees that translate in well paying jobs while a lot of US born students tend to follow their interests thinking if they are good enough the money will follow

thats just my observation