NEW BS HIGH SCHOOL RANKING IS OUT: RICH KIDS STILL WINNING
Are you tired of hearing about the "best" schools in the country? Well, I've got news for you: those rankings are just a bunch of bullsh*t. All they really tell you is which schools have the richest kids and are located in the most affluent areas.
Let's take a look at the top 10 schools in the 2021 Best High Schools national rankings. Not a single one of them is a Title I majority school, meaning they don't have at least 40% of their students from low-income families. In other words, these schools are for rich kids only.
And don't even get me started on the demographics of these schools. Some of them have student bodies that are over 70% Asian. Others have more balanced racial and ethnic compositions, but they're still not representative of the real world.
But here's the real kicker: these rankings are just another way to measure how white a school is. Sure, they might claim to be looking at academic performance and other factors, but at the end of the day, it's all about how many rich white kids go there.
And if you really want to compare schools, just look at their budgets. The rich schools have all the resources they need to provide a top-notch education, while the poor schools are struggling just to keep the lights on.
So, next time you hear someone bragging about their school's ranking, just remember: it's all a bunch of bullsh*t. The real measure of a school's success is how well it serves ALL its students, not just the ones with trust funds.
High School Rankings Overview: Best High Schools https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/rankings-overview
THE DEFT DIVE
According to the U.S. News & World Report, the top 10 schools in the 2021 Best High Schools national rankings are¹²:
1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (VA)
2. Academic Magnet High School (SC)
3. The Davidson Academy of Nevada (NV)
4. Payton College Preparatory High School (IL)
5. School for Advanced Studies (FL)
6. Sumner Academy of Arts and Science (KS)
7. Merrol Hyde Magnet School (TN)
8. BASIS Chandler (AZ)
9. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology (GA)
10. Townsend Harris High School (NY)
None of these schools are Title I majority schools, meaning that they do not have at least 40% of their students from low-income families eligible for Title I funding⁵. In fact, most of these schools have very low percentages of students who are economically disadvantaged, ranging from 0.6% at Thomas Jefferson High School to 15.8% at Townsend Harris High School¹⁶.
The demographics of these schools also vary widely, reflecting the diversity of the communities they serve. For example, Thomas Jefferson High School has a student body that is 70% Asian, 20% White, 3% Hispanic and 2% Black¹⁶, while Townsend Harris High School has a student body that is 49% Asian, 25% White, 12% Hispanic and 9% Black¹⁶. Some schools have more balanced racial and ethnic compositions, such as Sumner Academy of Arts and Science, which has a student body that is 34% Black, 29% White, 24% Hispanic and 7% Asian¹⁶.
The economic conditions of the communities where these schools are located also differ significantly. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in Fairfax County, Virginia, where Thomas Jefferson High School is located, was $124,831 in 2019¹⁷, while the median household income in Queens County, New York, where Townsend Harris High School is located, was $68,992 in 2019¹⁷. The poverty rates in these counties also vary, from 5.7% in Fairfax County to 13.4% in Queens County¹⁷.
Bing, 8/29/2023
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