Ann Arbor is top 10 for education; falls in rankings for best cities to raise a family
Kindergartener Naya Loftus draws a picture at Lakewood Elementary School this past academic year. Ann Arbor Public Schools were given kudos in a recent "Parenting Magazine" Best Cities for Education list.
AnnArbor.com file photo
Parenting Magazine listed Ann Arbor as the 10th best city in the United States for education, citing the diversity of Ann Arbor Public Schools as a primary reason for the accolades.
The magazine said there are 64 different languages spoken within the school district. It also cited AAPS’ high graduation rate and commitment to green, energy-saving practices. Skyline High School got a shout-out in the article as the nation’s largest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified high school.
The city also graced Parenting Magazine’s Best Cities for Families list at No. 14. But just two years ago, Ann Arbor was No. 4 on this list, which judges the best places in America to raise a family based on home affordability, low crime rates, job availability, parks and schools, according to the magazine’s website.
Interestingly enough, while Ann Arbor fell on this family-friendly list, the city was named the No. 1 city in the country for singles by Kiplinger in February.
Boston was named the 2012 best city for families. Portland, Maine, and Austin, Texas, also made the list.
Staff reporter Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.
Comments
Brad
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 2:45 p.m.
"64 different languages spoken within the school district" Does that include the foreign language that the new super seems to speak exclusively?
brimble
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 11:30 a.m.
The report conflates two different rankings; the 'best place to raise a family' ranking includes things like density per population of libraries, pediatricians, and parks. But it also factors in unemployment, housing costs, resident tax burden, the cost and availability of center-based day care, and so on. The University still contributes to, rather than detracts from, that ranking. There's a reason that Ann Arbor is on the list, while a perfectly nice town like, say, Brighton isn't.
Bcar
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 11:20 a.m.
hmmm, wonder if having less fire/police has anything to do with the fall from #4... (Are you listening city council??? I doubt it....).
Stephen Landes
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 1:24 a.m.
The reason for the fall from fourth is likely due to misplaced priorities: expensive fountains in front of city hall and threats to our parks instead of police and fire personnel on the streets. I don't live in Ann Arbor so I can be in a city trying to be like a Big City. I live here so I can enjoy NOT being in a Big City (like places I've been including NYC, Chicago, London, Koln, or Mexico City) while still enjoying some of the cultural advantages that only the U of M can bring here. I want the trees and parks, quiet, good public safety, and the museums, libraries, and concert halls that the U has and that attract interesting people. I want Washtenaw Dairy on a summer evening and restaurants that can have tables on the street where you can actually carry on a conversation instead of being drowned out by traffic noise. Trying to tart up town with "art" and having programs that actually encourage destruction (like graffiti) is not what will make Ann Arbor a great place to raise a family.
jen777
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 8:58 a.m.
Agree about this city trying to act like a big city when that is not why people live here. I think the lack of city planninf (think highrises with no character) is an examle of this or the new parking garage. Even the idea of a convention center here was not a good one. I do think we can imorove our restauarants - even for a smaller city I feel mostofmmrestaurants are average food and nothing special.
Somargie
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 12:40 a.m.
Reasons why AA fell to #14 for raising a family: 1. too many upscale student high rises; 2. too many upscale student high rises; 3. too much land grabs by UM for parking lots, stadiums close to families, offices, etc; 4. too much land grabs by UM for parking lots, stadiums close to families, offices, etc; 5. too much upscale multiple apartments for upscale students or their parents to buy: 6. too much upscale multiple apartments for upscale students or their parents to buy; 7. too many politicians entranced by upscale attitudes & real estate groups to realize that we will become like San Francisco, Seattle and other cities who let the real estate people take over their city that priced out families: 8. too many politicians scared of the money & influence of UM & their alums to demand they pay their fair share of services used, taxes lost to stop the buying of land by this public university; 9. too many people unable to resist the enormous over-the-top money UM is willing to give them in it's quest to takeover the city; and lastly 10. too many people who either work for, are alums of or rabid fans of UM who either can't or won't disagree or complain about how UM is destroying the sustainability of AA as a place for both singles & families by its land grab & refusal to pay their fair share.. I'll await the vitriol of the UM fans, silly voting system or maybe the sudden removal by AA.com
Polyjuce123
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 6:24 a.m.
@Somargie University towns have student housing? Yes. University towns have universities that purchase properties? Yes. What do these factors have to do with raising a family? Nothing. What does? Foremost are school performance, test scores, availability of state funding, teacher ratings. The money brought in by wealthy students can only stay in the local economy if AA shapes it to continue to attract them, and that will be their first priority...to keep the money machine alive.
Aquarius
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 2:45 a.m.
Amazing how with all the negative news about Ypsi schools we get an article about how great A2 is. Typical!
say it plain
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 2:14 a.m.
You do have to watch out for that (censorship), I've learned this is too true, particularly about real-estate comments lol...
jcj
Wed, Jul 25, 2012 : 11:10 p.m.
If we (collectively) are so smart. Why did we fall from 4th to 14th?
Doug
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 6:42 p.m.
Get out the liberal agenda!
brimble
Wed, Jul 25, 2012 : 10:48 p.m.
University towns suffer a natural advantage on both lists. Educated people, and people who work in higher education, are more likely to value schools and pay to support them. They're also more likely to perform behaviors which prepare their own students for school and provide stable family bases for them as well. Good teachers will choose to work in those districts with better pay, bright students, and supportive families. Apparently not measured by Parenting is the impact of non-public schools. Ann Arbor families have a range of choices in schools which are private, Parochial, Montessori, and so on. It is, of course, tougher to make apple-to-apple evaluations of those.
mixmaster
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 12:27 p.m.
Maybe a university town enjoys a natural advantage when it comes to education, yes, but suffer, no.