Morgan park? (Chicago, Worth, Harvard: lawyer, homes, neighborhood)

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

My opinion is that it's half that blacks have lower standards for historical reasons, and half is perception -- ie that whites are automatically conditioned to see suckiness wherever they see blacks, which takes a scenario that maybe is a bit worse but potentially workable and turns it into living hell on earth (which is far from the truth).

So would the hypothetical black Ivy League-educated Beverly resident send their kid to Morgan Park High?

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

My opinion is that it's half that blacks have lower standards for historical reasons, and half is perception -- ie that whites are automatically conditioned to see suckiness wherever they see blacks, which takes a scenario that maybe is a bit worse but potentially workable and turns it into living hell on earth (which is far from the truth).

I think this is sadly true. It tends to become a snowball effect when a minority population increases in a school and white parents start withdrawing from it based on a perception of impending suckiness -- which unfortunately more often that not comes to pass. There are minority/majority schools that get high ISAT scores, but that's not the general rule. The only way these schools have even a chance of diversifying is to raise their test scores. That's gonna take some creativity.

[ajolotl]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

So would the hypothetical black Ivy League-educated Beverly resident send their kid to Morgan Park High?

Probably not their top choice, but it is within the realm of reason and wouldn't be considered suicide if it had to happen. I'm guessing they would prefer one of the elite private schools, including Morgan Park Academy (maybe not quite elite but very good private school up the hill).

The best analogy is living in Hyde Park and sending your kids to Ray School. Parent would prefer lab, but not everyone can afford it or get in, so they make the best out of Ray school. That is very different from how whites see MP high school.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

So would the hypothetical black Ivy League-educated Beverly resident send their kid to Morgan Park High?

It could happen. I know several very involved parents who really value education and send their kids to Morton West, and they've largely done just fine. I know of one recent MW grad who is at MIT now. But the b--ch is really in the middle, not at the extremes. Most middle class parents concerned with education will avoid a school like MP and MW, partly out of ignorance, partly out of valid concerns. Then the middle of your bell curve is going to be the kids of those who don't consider education all that important and who don't get involved in things. That's going to cause your test scores to be low, and will be an impediment to the school's diversification and improvement.

[JasmineFlower]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

So would the hypothetical black Ivy League-educated Beverly resident send their kid to Morgan Park High?

Yes, they would as would their white counterpart. This is a strange thread to me. I have black and white friends who went to MPHS, loved it, and so did their parents, who were well educated and involved. From the other posts, that seems like some seriously rare occurrence, but its really not, I've met too many people (black, white, & indian) with good things to say about the school. Admittedly, most of the people I know who went there were in the IB program, but still, to read this thread, you wouldn't know others thought there was anything good going on at MPHS unless you are apparently poor or disadvantaged with low educational standards.

[ParkerP]

This is interesting. Since I'm not a parent, I've always wondered what made a school "good". You see all the time people say they want to send their kids to "good" schools. I guess I'm asking because I have seen on other forums where the North side schools which are normally considered "good/great" at least from where I stand, are totally looked down upon. Like suburban schools are the one and only option. Its like ok, if even the North side schools aren't considered quality education, what is really going on here? So, if the perception is really about class or race obviously the North side has more wealth and white people. Why do people still carry the attitude that the schools there still aren't "good" enough and they must escape to the "good" schools in the suburbs?

[Runuova]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

I should also mention the obvious -- in addition to the racial component there is a strong class component esp from blacks that is independent of race. There are very, very snooty, economically well off blacks all over beverly who look down on everything, including people who live east of the tracks (ie me), and who send their kids to expensive private schools downtown.

Always tough to boil everything down to one simple idea. Lots of things mixed together.

The term is "BOUGIE"!

[oldhousegirl]

Originally Posted by ParkerP

This is interesting. Since I'm not a parent, I've always wondered what made a school "good". You see all the time people say they want to send their kids to "good" schools. I guess I'm asking because I have seen on other forums where the North side schools which are normally considered "good/great" at least from where I stand, are totally looked down upon. Like suburban schools are the one and only option. Its like ok, if even the North side schools aren't considered quality education, what is really going on here? So, if the perception is really about class or race obviously the North side has more wealth and white people. Why do people still carry the attitude that the schools there still aren't "good" enough and they must escape to the "good" schools in the suburbs?

One perception of "good" when it comes to schools is safety, especially in Chicago. Safety with the kid getting to and from school, extracurriculars, etc.

[Runuova]

[SIZE=3]10900 S HERMOSA Ave, CHICAGO, IL 60643?[/SIZE]

[Chicagoland60426]

Originally Posted by JasmineFlower

Yes, they would as would their white counterpart. This is a strange thread to me. I have black and white friends who went to MPHS, loved it, and so did their parents, who were well educated and involved. From the other posts, that seems like some seriously rare occurrence, but its really not, I've met too many people (black, white, & indian) with good things to say about the school. Admittedly, most of the people I know who went there were in the IB program, but still, to read this thread, you wouldn't know others thought there was anything good going on at MPHS unless you are apparently poor or disadvantaged with low educational standards.

Morgan Park is one of the better non magnet high schools in the city and one of the few majority black high schools in Chicago to have decent test scores.