New Boston's Best Schools ranking is out

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by pennyone

I see your point. But as someone who went to Brown, then Harvard for grad school, I can tell you that, in retrospect, there is hardly any difference in the type or quality of education I received from both schools. In fact, there is really no difference between a Bates and a Harvard education. Both have excellent faculty, and both offer an excellent learning experience. The difference has more to do with "where do I fit in?" and "do I want a big or little school?"...largely silly questions posed by silly teens who are highly unsure of themselves. They will be fine going to a Harvard, a Brown, a Bate or even a Tufts and BC. So, what's the difference between going to Needham H, Wayland H or Natick H? These schools for the most part have the resources to help relatively affluent kids with no cultural and linguistic challenges to excel (if they choose to) and get accepted to the good colleges/universities listed above. So...who cares if HS#1 is ranked third, or if HS #2 is ranked seventh? They are all capable because the kids in those schools and their support systems are capable of getting them accepted into the best colleges.

I couldn't agree more with you. Choosing among some of the top school systems in a state with overall one of the top public education systems in the country is a can't miss proposition. The difference among many of them is really a matter of splitting hairs.

Unfortunately, many people like to be #1, work with #1, go to the #1 whatever. So, in the end there's a big audience out there that wants to crown one school system as #1 which is why Boston Magazine's list exists.

Originally Posted by pennyone

But take a school in Framingham, or North Quincy, or Malden, where kids from new immigrant groups have to deal with cultural and language adjustments/challenges while at the same time learn the material, take APs and standardized tests and do all this usually without the financial resources that might translate into outside SAT tutorials and other form of help that only money can buy. If a school with a large numebr of these types of students has an excellent graduation rate (above 90%), and score well on the MCAS (above 85% in English, Math and Science), then you have a real educational success story. In other words, who cares about Weston H or Needham H? They are suppose to do well. I care more about a North Quincy because clearly, something is working very well there. But does the Boston Magazine list even begin to capture this reality?

I just don't think Boston Magazine is the kind of periodical which would ever do that. It's a magazine about expensive restaurants, hip clothing stores, and expensive bottles of wine.

[pennyone]

Agreed. Perhaps Boston magazine's title "Best Schools 20XX; The Ranking" needs to be re-examined. I think US News and World Report has a HS ranking that combines scores with resources and a Gold-Siver medal system that includes factors such as demographics and social classes etc. I looked over it last year and it was far more informative than this frilly-precious little list from Boston Mag.

[ogre]

Agreed. It would be good if Boston Mag. made it clear what they were really evaluating.

[konfetka]

You can really find this info yourself, using sortable MCAS tables.

For example, Beverly is 20 percent low-income and 20 percent special needs, but they have the same English proficiency as the more affluent and homogeneous Manchester Essex - 90 percent. That tells you they are doing something right, that's probably why they are going to Washington to present at the conference on innovative high schools. I wonder if Boston Magazine could write an article about that.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by konfetka

i wonder if boston magazine could write an article about that.

lmao!!!!!!!!!!!

[pennyone]

The quality of Boston Magazine's ranking picks is definitely "top notch" (I state this with sarcasm). As an example, it picked Weymouth's land of Pawz as Best of Boston South for pet sitting in 2011, and I just read yesterday in the news about a horrific death involving a bulldog under its care. The place's license is now suspended due to various code violations, and the owner of the deceased dog is bringing a law suit against it. According to the report, the poor dog died out in the stifling heat with no protection, and its body was left covered under a blanket for the owner to be picked up at the end of the day! No calls for help, no emergency vet (according to the news report but WPD investigation is continuing)....a "wonderful" place and a great ranking pick by the Boston Magazine indeed.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by pennyone

The quality of Boston Magazine's ranking picks is definitely "top notch" (I state this with sarcasm). As an example, it picked Weymouth's land of Pawz as Best of Boston South for pet sitting in 2011, and I just read yesterday in the news about a horrific death involving a bulldog under its care. The place's license is now suspended due to various code violations, and the owner of the deceased dog is bringing a law suit against it. According to the report, the poor dog died out in the stifling heat with no protection, and its body was left covered under a blanket for the owner to be picked up at the end of the day! No calls for help, no emergency vet (according to the news report but WPD investigation is continuing)....a "wonderful" place and a great ranking pick by the Boston Magazine indeed.

Boston Magazine is clearly a "pay for play" periodical. If you pay for advertising space, then you'll get a favorable review or a "best" ranking.