[jane_sm1th73]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Another list... As was discussed before, most of the schools on that list are magnet schools that only accept the top students from the district. Comparing these types of schools to public schools which has all levels of students is really not fair. Jay

Jay, that is an uninformed response and demonstrates that you did not look at the list you disparage. There are over 2000 high schools, nationwide, in the WaPo list. If you sort the list by rank, you are right that many in the top 50 are charter schools. However, I see plain old high schools as the majority below the top 50. As a fer instance, there's a high school in my old nabe in Falls Church that is a reg'lar neighborhood school, that is in 70th-something place.

If you throw ALL metrics out the window to support your view that everything is better in CT, you're disclosing your bias. YOUR bias: hype trumps facts every time, and facts don't count. For people who need to make decisions, facts count. Otherwise there is no basis for discussion other than political correctness and emotionalism - which is what CT runs on now. Thanks to an unwieldy majority, for whom it is easier and more profitable to manipulate, and to be manipulated, than to engage in the hard process of critical thinking.

BUT - facts count, and numbers count. That's NOT just my opinion. If you don't like the WaPo ranking methodology, state your basis, propose an alternative ranking methodology, and rank the contenders on your proposed methodology. Clue: your methodology has to be a little more rigorous than "Here's how I WANT it to turn out because it makes me feel better."

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by jane_sm1th73

BUT - facts count, and numbers count. That's NOT just my opinion. If you don't like the WaPo ranking methodology, state your basis, propose an alternative ranking methodology, and rank the contenders on your proposed methodology. Clue: your methodology has to be a little more rigorous than "Here's how I WANT it to turn out because it makes me feel better."

How is that any different than US News? I don't disagree that facts and numbers count, but when their "facts" are based on a self-evaluation survey, it's immediately discounted. What you're accusing Jay of is exactly the way US News makes its lists.

I'm not going to pretend we aren't among the highest taxed states, but at the same time, I know the quality of life is better here (if you can afford it).

[JViello]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

However if you get in to the bottom 90% of high schools in the state, I would think you're really in for a surprise.

I don't know man, you ever see Hartford High?

[Lintu]

Just for some additional perspective, I pulled up my grandparents' house in Dallas and the Zillow estimate is $145,400 and the taxes are $4,100. Texas property taxes + sales tax + highest homeowner insurance in the country + really bad schools in some districts (like Dallas proper) so you end up paying for private school + insane cooling costs + megasprawl (more driving) becomes expensive, even when your mortgage isn't all that high.

[gmdealerguy]

Originally Posted by Stylo

We also have the highest gas taxes.

States with the highest gas taxes - fuel prices - MSN Money

I agree on property tax. Most of NY is reasonable. Westchester and New York counties are the very high ones, worse than most towns/cities in CT.

This I agree with after living in Westchester all /most of my life. This is why we bought a house in CT and live here. Quality of life is much better..... Lower property taxes than Westchester........We honestly dont find anything here in CT more expensive than where we moved from,.......except for electricity. Other than that, we have no complaints.

[ctwhitechin]

Originally Posted by gmdealerguy

This I agree with after living in Westchester all /most of my life. This is why we bought a house in CT and live here. Quality of life is much better..... Lower property taxes than Westchester........We honestly dont find anything here in CT more expensive than where we moved from,.......except for electricity. Other than that, we have no complaints.

Coming from Nassau County NY, in agreement with you except for car taxes, that is one absurd rule.

[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by jane_sm1th73

Jay, that is an uninformed response and demonstrates that you did not look at the list you disparage. There are over 2000 high schools, nationwide, in the WaPo list. If you sort the list by rank, you are right that many in the top 50 are charter schools. However, I see plain old high schools as the majority below the top 50. As a fer instance, there's a high school in my old nabe in Falls Church that is a reg'lar neighborhood school, that is in 70th-something place.

If you throw ALL metrics out the window to support your view that everything is better in CT, you're disclosing your bias. YOUR bias: hype trumps facts every time, and facts don't count. For people who need to make decisions, facts count. Otherwise there is no basis for discussion other than political correctness and emotionalism - which is what CT runs on now. Thanks to an unwieldy majority, for whom it is easier and more profitable to manipulate, and to be manipulated, than to engage in the hard process of critical thinking.

BUT - facts count, and numbers count. That's NOT just my opinion. If you don't like the WaPo ranking methodology, state your basis, propose an alternative ranking methodology, and rank the contenders on your proposed methodology. Clue: your methodology has to be a little more rigorous than "Here's how I WANT it to turn out because it makes me feel better."

Intrigued, I checked out the WaPo methodology. Here it is:

"The formula is simple: Divide the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or other college-level tests a school gave in 2010 by the number of graduating seniors. While not a measure of the overall quality of the school, the rating can reveal the level of a high school’s commitment to preparing average students for college."

About Us - Ranking America's High Schools 2011 - The Washington Post

They admit that it is not an overall measure of the quality of a school. It looks only at the number of college level test taken versus the number of graduating seniors. There is no analysis as to how the students scored--getting students to sit for a test is much different than preparing them to do well on a test (IMO, the latter is a much better indication of school quality). So the use of this as a "ranking" of the best high schools in the country or as evidence in support of the quality (or lack thereof) of the schools in CT seems missplaced.

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by JViello

I don't know man, you ever see Hartford High?

Yeah, it's awful. However, I'd still say BETTER than LBJ or Reagan in Austin. Our worst are as bad as the worst anywhere.

But take the average high school here-- and the average high school in Texas... No comparison.

[gmdealerguy]

Originally Posted by ctwhitechin

Coming from Nassau County NY, in agreement with you except for car taxes, that is one absurd rule.

Yes, I forgot about that tax. Yeah, I dont love that either but my property taxes are still very reasonable even with that factored in.
But I agree with you, it is absurd......... And I know Long Island is extremely expensive to live on.....

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by gmdealerguy

Yes, I forgot about that tax. Yeah, I dont love that either but my property taxes are still very reasonable even with that factored in.
But I agree with you, it is absurd......... And I know Long Island is extremely expensive to live on.....

Reasonable compared to a few counties in NY. Again, though, New York State overall is far less expensive (in taxes and house prices).