Don't complain about your long commutes...

[The Captain]

Kid with one of world's longest school commutes gets some relief

usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/19/17374166-kid-with-one-of-worlds-longest-school-commutes-gets-some-relief?lite=&lite=obinsite

The New York City 14-year-old spent five hours a day on subways and buses to get to his elite high school, earning him recognition in a United Nations exhibition about the world's longest school commutes.

I tip my hat to this young man's extraordianry dedication to his education!

I just wish we had a lot more like him.

[Tennesseer]

He attends an excellent school. He will go far in life.

[Sum Dum Gai]

All that effort and a kid that smart and dedicated would probably get a great education damn near anywhere.  What a shame.  Glad something was able to be done about it though.

[Deleted]

The mere fact that he has to commute 5 hours to get to a decent school is the bigger problem here.

[Tennesseer]

Mar 21, 2013 19:25:53 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

The mere fact that he has to commute 5 hours to get to a decent school is the bigger problem here.

MJ-it's a specialized magnet school in NYC.

The Bronx High School of Science (commonly called Bronx Science or simply Science, formerly Science High, [4][5] demonym "Scienceite(s)" [6] ) is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx. Admission is by an exam open to all grade-eligible students in New York City, reportedly taken by more than 20,000 students annually. [7] Although known for its focus on mathematics and science, Bronx Science also emphasizes the humanities and social sciences and continually attracts students with a wide variety of interests beyond math and science.

Bronx Science has received international recognition [8] as one of the best [9] high schools in the United States, public or private, ranking in the top 100 in U.S. News and World Report's lists of America's "Gold-Medal" high schools in 2008 and 2009. [10] It attracts an intellectually gifted blend of culturally, ethnically, [11][12] and economically diverse students from New York City. [13] As of 2012, Bronx Science is ranked as one of the "22 top-performing schools " in America on The Washington Post as well as number 50 out of a list of the best 1,000 high schools in the country on The Daily Beast's "America's Best High Schools " list.

Every year almost all Bronx Science graduates go on to four-year colleges; many attend Ivy League and other prestigious schools. [14] Bronx Science has counted 132 finalists in the Intel (formerly Westinghouse) Science Talent Search, the largest number of any high school. [15] Eight graduates have won Nobel Prizes—more than any other secondary education institution in the United States [16] —and six have won Pulitzer Prizes. [17][18] Of the eight Nobel Prizes earned by Bronx Science graduates, seven of them are in physics, which earned Bronx Science a designation by the American Physical Society as a "Historic Physics Site" in 2010. [16][19]

Bronx Science is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST). [20] Together with Stuyvesant High School and Brooklyn Technical High School, it is one of three original specialized science high schools operated by the New York City Department of Education.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bronx_High_School_of_Science

[Deleted]

I dunno.... I would do what I could to make sure I lived in an area with descents schools for my kids.

[Tennesseer]

MJ-I believe the young man and his family are in public housing. The article stated housing authorities found him and his family new housing much closer to the school. Unfortunately, it's all about money.

[The Captain]

When you have a child who is more self motivated and willing to work harder than many adults (including the ones he's surrounded by) to achieve success, then yes he is a hero in my book.

How many posters have come on these boards saying they won't even consider a job with a commute longer than 30min? 

This kid went to extraordinary lengths to make sure he got the best education to which he could gain access.  I say kudos to him.

[973beachbum]

Mar 21, 2013 19:15:21 GMT -5 @tbird said:

Theres a group of students at DD's school commute up from the south side.  2 hours each way.

Rather than any kudos, teachers give em crap if they mention it and say "it was your choice........blah blah blah!"

Now this kid is a hero?

Well that last half hour makes all the difference. 

They also need to learn to say it is a 4 hour commute and not just a mamby pamby 2 hour one way commute.  It sounds way worse that way.

[Deleted]

"How many posters have come on these boards saying they won't even consider a job with a commute longer than 30min?"

At least 1 that I know of: Doxie

[The Captain]

Ok, I could name a few more but that's not the point.  Maybe I should have stated "won't consider a job with a one hour commute"...

[skubikky]

Mar 21, 2013 19:48:55 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

I dunno.... I would do what I could to make sure I lived in an area with descents schools for my kids.

One more time, except for Stuyvesant high school in Manhattan,  Bronx High School of Science is the top STEM high school in NYC.  In Queens there are absolutely many good public high schools that he could have attended.  It's not that there wasn't a good school to attend, he wanted to attend Bronx Science. 

There are many high school kids in NYC that make long commutes to a specialty or private high school that are well outside their neighborhoods.  The great and far reaching MTA allows that.   We lived in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens  and I made the commute to the west side of Manhattan every day to attend high school.  It's really not that unusual.  Did a lot of homework on the subway. 

[reader79]

I went to Stuyvesant, from Far Rockaway as well, back in the 90's. My commute was about an hour and fifteen minutes. Now, with the A train offline, it would take longer due to shuttle buses. If I hadn't gotten into Stuy, but was accepted into Bronx Science, I don't know if I could have made that trip.

My sister went to Hunter College High School on the Upper East Side, and it took her 1.5+ hours each way minimum. The public high schools in Far Rockaway weren't very good at the time, and they closed the main one a few years ago.

www.rockawave.com/news/2011-07-01/School_News/At_Far_Rock_HS_Schools_Out_Forever.html

"In a 2007 decision, the Department of Education voted to phase out and then close the school due to poor academic achievement and a low graduation rate."

They replaced it with a few smaller schools in the same building, but the students pretty much remained the same from what I can tell.

[thyme4change]

Boy that list was depressing.  No schools from the entire Phoenix Metropolitan area made the top 650 schools.  I gave up after that.  I did see a bunch of Tucson - who knew?!

[Sum Dum Gai]

Sweet, Pacific Collegiate is still in the top ten.  Now I just have to pray that my kids get drawn, since it's lottery only admissions.

[thyme4change]

I tried to read the methodology.  It sounds like they are judging on how well your minorities are doing compared to other minorities, not how well the school does overall.  

[Sum Dum Gai]

Should have kept going Thyme.  Pinnacle High School in Paradise Valley is ranked 681st nationally.  Mountain View High School in Mesa is the next one in the Phoenix area at 978, and Chaparral High School in Snotsdale rounds out the top 1000 in 1000th place.

[thyme4change]

Chaparral High School in Snotsdale rounds out the top 1000 in 1000th place.

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That is where I graduated from.  I'm a Snotdonian.  

[Sum Dum Gai]

Keep in mind they evaluated 22,000 schools, so being in the top 1000 is actually pretty decent.  So, will you be bussing the kids to Paradise Valley for their 681 placement, or is 1000 good enough and the kids will go to the neighborhood school?  Or are you planning on moving to Tucson so the kids can go to a top ten school?

[thyme4change]

None of the above.  I grew up in Scottsdale - I don't live there now, and I don't want my kids going to school at Chaparral.  The PV school probably has a lot of the same attitudes.  I can't rehash my whole high school problem right now.  I'm still trying to figure out 5th grade.  

[Sum Dum Gai]

The PV school probably has a lot of the same attitudes.  I can't rehash my whole high school problem right now.

Don't need too.  You were a young girl going to school with those snooty bitches in Scottsdale.  I'm pretty sure I can guess what the attitude problem was.

[thyme4change]

LOL - actually, I was saying that I can't rehash the problem I have with where my kids are going to go to high school.  I didn't have too many problems with the snooty bitches at Chaparral, I just feel that a high school like that created a lot of entitlement, and I want to send my kids off with at least one ounce of realism.  It is also one of the reasons I don't want my kids to go to Xavier and Brophy.  Just too much money in the hands of kids way too young to understand it.

[Phoenix84]

Hopefully he succeeds and gets off the public dole. 

[Phoenix84]

Hmmm, my high school was ranked in the top 550, not bad. 

[Tennesseer]

Mar 22, 2013 14:00:56 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Hopefully he succeeds and gets off the public dole. 

Seriously? That's all you can think of? He's a minor. His family's money issues should not be laid at the boy's feet.

No wonder you have interpersonal issues. Look in the mirror buddy.

[thyme4change]

LOL - I thought the comment was hilarious.  Although, it would be weird if it wasn't meant to be funny.  

[Tennesseer]

Mar 22, 2013 14:10:46 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

LOL - I thought the comment was hilarious.  Although, it would be weird if it wasn't meant to be funny.  

I have yet to see a sense of humor with this poster. Just self-pity.

[Phoenix84]

It wasn't meant as funny or mean spirited or anything, just hope he rises above his family's poverty and succeeds at life.  He probably will. 

[Phoenix84]

"I have yet to see a sense of humor with this poster. Just self-pity."

So I take it you missed the part where I suggested Waffle and Swamp engage in bikini mud wrestling? 

[thyme4change]

This thread has gone terribly wrong.  I'm not willing to have my kids commute for 5 hours to go to high school.  However, I believe my children will succeed in any number of places.