Flashbacks:
The RNGC Caddyshackpocalypse
Bollards!
South Lakes High School, which was at the epicenter of a completely uneventful and unemotional redistricting process a year or so back, was ranked the 558th best high school in the country in Newsweek's annual rankings. All of Fairfax's high schools made the list, with South Lakes ranking higher than Edison (771st) and lower than Hayfield (499th). Oakton ranked 155th and Herndon High School ranked 164th.
The "challenge index" rankings have been the subject of considerable debate in education circles -- and some local connoisseurs of academic quality prefer looking at the "Bratz index" instead -- but it's worth noting that even the school at the bottom of the 1,478 schools across the country ranked by Newsweek is still among the top six percent of all high schools in the country. Living in an affluent county which puts considerable resources towards its schools tends to shift one's perspective a bit.
The shocker? Untouchable Langley wasn't at the top of the list. W.T. Woodson High School ranked 71st, while the (Anglo) Saxons ranked 100th. No word, though, on the quality of their band programs.
How could Westfield rank 190 with history of drug abuse exposed this year. Also some of its graduates have used guns in some terrible ways. What really is a good high school?
ReplyDeleteThese articles reinforce people's biases for or against a particular school. I think it would be cool if you could get the South Lakes kids to start reading/responding to your blog and letting you know how the inmates feel about the asylum! Hey, if they read the blog too, they'll learn loads about "representative" government and the four approved colors.
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