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I considered Virginia but (based on personal experience) consider it quite conservative. Also, I have spoken with parents in the Northeast who have moved to VA and been disappointed with the school systems there.
Last edited by StarlaJane; 12-21-2009 at 10:34 AM..
This is based on my personal experiences, both as a teacher and a student. I have also been job hunting around the U.S. , and have seen many schools in many states.
I am from Connecticut so am probably biased. But given that the OP wanted a forward-thinking state with a great educational system, I decided that CT. should be #1.
I also considered Minnesota b/c of what I have heard but I have never been so I left it off of the list. There are also many areas within states that I didn't include--Austin, TX, Princeton, NJ, Boulder, CO...
I don't like to rely on rankings, etc. when considering schools and districts b/c I find them to be inaccurate. I have taught in some "great" schools in Florida that are anything but, especially when compared to schools in CT. and MA (public and, especially, private). Although even I will admit that there are some great public schools in Palm Beach County.
I also completely understand where the OP is coming from; if I were a parent with school-aged children, I would be in the Northeast before the kids were even born.
I am also glad that other City-Data posters are vigilant when it comes to posts; I should have noted that my post was my opinion rather than based on data and facts, and I thank those who pointed this out.
I considered Virginia but (based on personal experience) consider it quite conservative. Also, I have spoken with parents in the Northeast who have moved to VA and been disappointed with the school systems there.
You do realize that Virginia houses some of the best high schools in the country, right?
Here's some top ranked high schools which probably indicates what locations have good elementary/middle schools. America's Best High Schools: Gold Medal List - US News and World Report
I don't have a dog in this fight, however, I noticed Virginia made the #1 spot for top high school in the US. Maybe Nemesis16 has a point.
Looks like you may not need to leave your state of Florida since I noticed several schools in Florida have made the list. If you are ever interested in checking out elementary/middle schools in a specific area, try GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community. The reason I like that website is because the reviews are written by parents and you can definitely get a vibe for the school by how involved the parents are which IMO is KEY in determining a good school.
Typically when you see national polls, the upper midwest generally claims the top spots, MN, IA, WI followed closely by Mass.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jojo7
Here's some top ranked high schools which probably indicates what locations have good elementary/middle schools. America's Best High Schools: Gold Medal List - US News and World Report
I don't have a dog in this fight, however, I noticed Virginia made the #1 spot for top high school in the US. Maybe Nemesis16 has a point.
Looks like you may not need to leave your state of Florida since I noticed several schools in Florida have made the list. If you are ever interested in checking out elementary/middle schools in a specific area, try GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community. The reason I like that website is because the reviews are written by parents and you can definitely get a vibe for the school by how involved the parents are which IMO is KEY in determining a good school.
Keep in mind that the criteria for this top 100 high school poll is ONLY the number of students that TAKE AP tests. Many of these so called "top" high schools require all their students to take the AP test (or in low income schools the IB test). They don't have to actually PASS the test, just take it, and they get ranked. Most of the "top" schools on this list are highly selective schools and again, they require all students to take the AP test. The rankings for MN are a perfect example-when an inner city school get the "top" MN ranking something is off. This ranking is based ONLY on the kids that are in the IB program, of which according to the Minneapolis paper a few months back, were 99 kids district wide-out of almost 30,000 students and nevermind that the graduation rate at that particular school is only 48%. Go to another school on the list, Edina, and they have a 99% rate of kids going on to 4 year colleges yet they are a 'worse' school than the Minneapolis school.
Typically when you see national polls, the upper midwest generally claims the top spots, MN, IA, WI followed closely by Mass.
Keep in mind that the criteria for this top 100 high school poll is ONLY the number of students that TAKE AP tests. Many of these so called "top" high schools require all their students to take the AP test (or in low income schools the IB test). They don't have to actually PASS the test, just take it, and they get ranked. Most of the "top" schools on this list are highly selective schools and again, they require all students to take the AP test. The rankings for MN are a perfect example-when an inner city school get the "top" MN ranking something is off. This ranking is based ONLY on the kids that are in the IB program, of which according to the Minneapolis paper a few months back, were 99 kids district wide-out of almost 30,000 students and nevermind that the graduation rate at that particular school is only 48%. Go to another school on the list, Edina, and they have a 99% rate of kids going on to 4 year colleges yet they are a 'worse' school than the Minneapolis school.
This "rating" is worthless.
Agreed. Our district pays the fees for students to take the tests (and that's a whole different issue in a time of tight budgets...don't get me started! ).
Typically when you see national polls, the upper midwest generally claims the top spots, MN, IA, WI followed closely by Mass.
Keep in mind that the criteria for this top 100 high school poll is ONLY the number of students that TAKE AP tests. Many of these so called "top" high schools require all their students to take the AP test (or in low income schools the IB test). They don't have to actually PASS the test, just take it, and they get ranked. Most of the "top" schools on this list are highly selective schools and again, they require all students to take the AP test. The rankings for MN are a perfect example-when an inner city school get the "top" MN ranking something is off. This ranking is based ONLY on the kids that are in the IB program, of which according to the Minneapolis paper a few months back, were 99 kids district wide-out of almost 30,000 students and nevermind that the graduation rate at that particular school is only 48%. Go to another school on the list, Edina, and they have a 99% rate of kids going on to 4 year colleges yet they are a 'worse' school than the Minneapolis school.
^ no need to. I just thought if your going to provide a ranking, VA deserves a spot.
As I stated, it is based on my personal experience. If you have a different opinion based on your own experiences, then post your own list.
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).
Reps.
