Philadlephia Magazine 50 best school districts 2008. (Philadelphia: 2009, crime, property tax)

[solibs]

At first I didn't understand the criteria being used here. Now I get it. It actually has 105 school districts ranked an it's looking at the whole district K-12 with rankings broken out for each level of education.

So SJ high schools come in at #4 - Haddonfield, #9 - Cherry Hill and #10 - Eastern. Seeing as how the SJ population is 1/3 of what it is on the PA side that makes a lot of sense.

But it's quite misleading because elementary and middle school districts are often different entities than the high schools those kids will go to. For instance, #37 ranked Haddon Heights High shares with neighboring Barrington and Lawnside but each town sends its kids to different elementary schools so you'll likely get different results depending on which k-8 school you go to. Also, Cherry Hill East and Cherry Hill West are two very different high schools. I would imagine that it's similar for CB East and CB West. I'm not sure what the point of the adding the two together would be.

If we look at the public high schools from the 2006 list of top high schools we get -

1. Masterman - Philadelphia
2. Conestoga - Berwyn
3. Cherry Hill East - Cherry Hill
4. Lower Merion - Ardmore
5. Strath Haven - Wallingford
6. Harriton - Rosemont
7. Haddonfield Memorial - Haddonfield
8. Radnor - Radnor
9. Upper Dublin - Fort Washington
10. Unionville - Kennett Square
11. Moorestown - Moorestown

and that's more or less as it should be.

[MoorestownResident]

Originally Posted by sbhubbell

I just moved to Texas last month. How old are you again? Do you have your own kids in these schools or are you still a kid yourself? Philly can't be included in any discussion of schools for obvious reasons but there are tons of school districts in the greater Philly area that are as good a public education as you can get anywhere in the US, including NJ. It's not isolated. Delaware County, Chester County, Montco, Bucks...Unless you're talking about moving outside the Philly region to the rest of PA.

Friends and one family member moved to the PA burbs. They all regret it. A couple pulled kids from the public schools and put them in Catholic schools.

[MoorestownResident]

Originally Posted by solibs

At first I didn't understand the criteria being used here. Now I get it. It actually has 105 school districts ranked an it's looking at the whole district K-12 with rankings broken out for each level of education.

So SJ high schools come in at #4 - Haddonfield, #9 - Cherry Hill and #10 - Eastern. Seeing as how the SJ population is 1/3 of what it is on the PA side that makes a lot of sense.

But it's quite misleading because elementary and middle school districts are often different entities than the high schools those kids will go to. For instance, #37 ranked Haddon Heights High shares with neighboring Barrington and Lawnside but each town sends its kids to different elementary schools so you'll likely get different results depending on which k-8 school you go to. Also, Cherry Hill East and Cherry Hill West are two very different high schools. I would imagine that it's similar for CB East and CB West. I'm not sure what the point of the adding the two together would be.

If we look at the public high schools from the 2006 list of top high schools we get -

1. Masterman - Philadelphia
2. Conestoga - Berwyn
3. Cherry Hill East - Cherry Hill
4. Lower Merion - Ardmore
5. Strath Haven - Wallingford
6. Harriton - Rosemont
7. Haddonfield Memorial - Haddonfield
8. Radnor - Radnor
9. Upper Dublin - Fort Washington
10. Unionville - Kennett Square
11. Moorestown - Moorestown

and that's more or less as it should be.

Cherry Hill East, while a great school, is not better than Moorestown. Just FYI you PA people, Haddonfield and Moorestown are considered the two best districts in SJ, CH a distant 3rd.

[toobusytoday]

What is up with all this talk about rankings and numbers? If you ask me, those numbers have to do with what school preps the best and how much pressure is put on the kids. I'm all about good schools but there is more to life then whether a school (or a district) is ranked the best.

[BPP1999]

Here we go again. How long before MoorestownResident blows another thread? I should post a poll.

Why are you posting here? Oh, right, that's because the Jersey boards are full of people who can't wait to get the H E double-hockey-sticks out of NJ. Sure, some will regret their move, but most won't.

It's amazing how many people you "know" who have had bad experiences with PA. Have you ever sat in a courtroom? You can't quote hearsay.

In one of your wise posts from yesterday you called many PA towns "garbage" compared to NJ. Then why are so many North Jersey and NY residents moving to upstate PA? Surely high-quality, high-class North Jersey people wouldn't move to a "garbage" area.

And why does NJ-based Merck have 11,000 or so jobs in Montgomery County? These aren't low-income jobs by the way (I thought I'd add that because we all know you have a fascination with people who make a lot because you probably don't). They are R&D and marketing. Same with Wyeth, owned by NJ-based American Home Products. Wyeth has R&D and marketing in Collegeville. Same with McNeill Pharmaceuticals in Fort Washington, owned by NJ-based J&J. These facilities would not be in PA if PA was "garbage."

It's amazing how you rationalize the world around you. Somehow South Jersey is getting a bad rap because Philly Mag and the Inquirer are not located there. Maybe you should be asking the question as to why there are no large publications there?

You strike me as the guy who went to college and had a bunch of NY friends who constantly made fun of you because you were from NJ, the parasite of NY. Now you work with a bunch of Philly people who mock you because you are from NJ, the swamplands of Philadelphia. What it comes down to MR is that you are a miserable, mean person. We can't say any worse about you because our posts will be stricken. If you are representative of who lives in Moorestown and South Jersey than I guess the country's stereotypes of NJ are still true. Go away.

[MoorestownResident]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

Here we go again. How long before MoorestownResident blows another thread? I should post a poll.

Why are you posting here? Oh, right, that's because the Jersey boards are full of people who can't wait to get the H E double-hockey-sticks out of NJ. Sure, some will regret their move, but most won't.

It's amazing how many people you "know" who have had bad experiences with PA. Have you ever sat in a courtroom? You can't quote hearsay.

In one of your wise posts from yesterday you called many PA towns "garbage" compared to NJ. Then why are so many North Jersey and NY residents moving to upstate PA? Surely high-quality, high-class North Jersey people wouldn't move to a "garbage" area.

And why does NJ-based Merck have 11,000 or so jobs in Montgomery County? These aren't low-income jobs by the way (I thought I'd add that because we all know you have a fascination with people who make a lot because you probably don't). They are R&D and marketing. Same with Wyeth, owned by NJ-based American Home Products. Wyeth has R&D and marketing in Collegeville. Same with McNeill Pharmaceuticals in Fort Washington, owned by NJ-based J&J. These facilities would not be in PA if PA was "garbage."

It's amazing how you rationalize the world around you. Somehow South Jersey is getting a bad rap because Philly Mag and the Inquirer are not located there. Maybe you should be asking the question as to why there are no large publications there?

What it comes down to MR is that you are a miserable, mean person. We can't say any worse about you because our posts will be stricken. If you are representative of who lives in Moorestown and South Jersey than I guess the country's stereotypes of NJ are still true. Go away.

Not exactly, just having fun showing you the difference between the two areas. Don't take it so seriously. You think PA is the cat's meow, then great.

[MoorestownResident]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

What is up with all this talk about rankings and numbers? If you ask me, those numbers have to do with what school preps the best and how much pressure is put on the kids. I'm all about good schools but there is more to life then whether a school (or a district) is ranked the best.

The wholistic school experience is more than academics, it's also athletic excellence. A sampling of MHS's accomplishments. Excellence has a whole different meaning in central NJ, which is where MHS competes.

In 2008, the Football team was the Central NJ Group III state champs, undefeated for only the 2nd time in school history
Girls Lacrosse has won 7 consecutive State Titles, 15 overall, including a current winning streak of 148 straight games. Last season defeated Chatham of North Jersey to win the State Title.
Boys swimming has won 19 NJ state titles.
Girls soccer was ranked #1 in the nation
MHS field hockey, fencing and tennis are among the strongest in the state
Boy tennis won the 2008 Central NJ Group III title, defeating Princeton, Millburn of North Jersey.
Girls cross county ranked #1 in NJ and in the Top 25 in the country

[MoorestownResident]

OK, in fairness to the PA folks, I will not prolong this thread. We should try to get along, we are the same region.

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by MoorestownResident

OK, in fairness to the PA folks, I will not prolong this thread. We should try to get along, we are the same region.

Do you know that PA and NJ supposedly share residents moreso than any other 2 states? In other words, more people flee NJ to PA, and PA to NJ, than anywhere else.

[Tone509]

Let's not continue with the same lobs that were thrown in the "Median Income" thread. We can compare and contrast without disrespecting each other. As someone already said, we all live (not to mention remember or have interest) in the same region.