Top High Schools List Spurs Debate Over Asian Students

We are new to the Bay Area and I can truthfully say that the education rat race here is off the hook. We have raised 4 older children in the Seattle area and all off in college or careers now. But I have never experienced anything like it is here that my 5th is going to have to work hard to keep up with (preschools here in SF average $16-24K alone...without adding Montessori or Waldorf pedagogies).

As the wife of a 1st gen Asian, I have to mirror Heather's comment that with Asian families education and profession is tantamount! In his culture the whole family surrounds the child in supporting educational endeavors. And the idea of sports, going to the mall to "hang", or anything else extracurricular is just not heard of.

My husband is Japanese, and even before our daughter was born (she's only a year old) we had very lengthy discussions about her education and where she would attend school. In the Japanese culture, as is the case in most Asian cultures I think, your education is paramount. They understand the value of a good education, of studying and learning and trying to get ahead. It doesn't surprise me in the least that the top high schools in the country are located in predominantly Asian populated areas. When the time comes for our daughter to enter the school system, that's where we'll be looking too.

A friend of mine who is a 1st generation Asian-American has told me that in her family, education is THE highest priority. Her parents felt that things like sports were valid and important but that her career as a high school soccer player would not last her the rest of her life. However, the educational work ethic would last and that is how she is raising her children.

I do not think one subset of the human race is better than any other-- it is how we, as individual parents and educational influencers in our childrens' lives handle our priorities and the things we hope they will value most. Just my two cents.

Wow. That's interesting. Why can't people just be glad there are American schools that look good, period. I believe, like the author said, parents could be drawn to the excellent school, or the school could be excellent because of good students. Thank God someone still has a work ethic in this country. People could learn a lot from students in those schools, no matter what ethnicity they happen to be!

Interesting. It is true with three of our elementary schools near me. The one with the highest Asian population had the highest scores. Interesting.