When we moved into our current neighborhood, we did a lot of research to make sure that it was the right place for us. My wife and I were about to start our own family, and we wanted to make sure that everything was just right about the place that we picked. Like most Americans, we wanted a wholesome community, one that was safe for kids, yet not too isolated from the world at large. We wanted to be a little bit removed from the city, yet able to go there whenever we wanted to attend a play, see an art show, or listen to some live music.
Unfortunately, we forgot to think about one of the most important factors in selecting the place where you live. We did not look at the school district. We assumed that, since it was a well established, respected community, it would have some of the top schools in the area. We were not entirely wrong. It does have one of the top elementary schools, but that is about as far as it goes. None of the other public schools in the area are among the top 25 schools in the state.
At first, we thought that we would be able to get around this problem. It is nice to be able to send your kid to one of the top schools, but you can really do pretty well without. We assumed that, even without a top school, our kids would all turn out okay. After all, we had made sure that they knew the importance of a good education. They loved to read and write, and were extremely intelligent kids. Even if they did not have one of the top schools, they still had some of the top parents. What could go wrong?
It turns out that going to one of the top schools is really crucial to long term success. Since we moved here, our son's grades have dropped, and he has fallen in with a bad group of kids. If this keeps up, he will not be able to go to one of the top universities when he graduates. He is a good kid, but he is a bit weak in the face of peer pressure. None of his friends seem to realize the importance of getting good grade so you can go on to a top university. If they don't get it, he won't get it either. In spite of the fact that we love the area, we may have to move out before it is too late for our kids.
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