I think people also underestimate the variance of experience of NYC public schools before overleveraging themselves like this.
K-5 is basically zoned, provided there is space. So you can buy yourself into a good school, unless a lot of other people did first and you get shunted off to an adjacent not-so-great one.
6-12, it gets into grades/test/interest/lottery/preferential treatment based placement. Your kid has to apply to middle school and then again to high school, much in the same way they do for college.
You might live in a rich enough neighborhood that your PTA, no joke, has a multi-million-dollar budget.. and famous actors showing up to school events/donating things/etc.
After 5th grade though, your kid could end up anywhere from, at the high end, a nationally known high school with famous alumni, and dozens of kids who end up in Ivys every year.
Or in a school 45min+ away by train, with a sub-70% graduation rate, and basically zero PTA to speak of.
This can create some serious brain worms for parents who have enough money to live in a rich suburb with good schools, but choose Manhattan & public schools (run out of money for private).
People should do what they want, but they should do it with eyes wide open.. and not project their desires too much onto their children.
K-5 is basically zoned, provided there is space. So you can buy yourself into a good school, unless a lot of other people did first and you get shunted off to an adjacent not-so-great one.
6-12, it gets into grades/test/interest/lottery/preferential treatment based placement. Your kid has to apply to middle school and then again to high school, much in the same way they do for college.
You might live in a rich enough neighborhood that your PTA, no joke, has a multi-million-dollar budget.. and famous actors showing up to school events/donating things/etc.
After 5th grade though, your kid could end up anywhere from, at the high end, a nationally known high school with famous alumni, and dozens of kids who end up in Ivys every year. Or in a school 45min+ away by train, with a sub-70% graduation rate, and basically zero PTA to speak of.
This can create some serious brain worms for parents who have enough money to live in a rich suburb with good schools, but choose Manhattan & public schools (run out of money for private).
People should do what they want, but they should do it with eyes wide open.. and not project their desires too much onto their children.