For some reason, Newsweek has decided to list the “top 1,200 public high schools in the nation.” The schools are ranked according to “the number of Advanced Placement, Intl. Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2006 divided by the number of graduating seniors.”
Not a single Greater New Haven public high school made the cut. The closest was one of the Fairfield high schools. Ten state schools were listed.The MSNBC server that allowed you to search the list by state crashed, since every kid, parent, teacher, administrator and real estate agent in the United States was trying to access the list today.
I really don’t understand these list stories, or why I’m so fascinated by them. If Blender magazine puts out a list of the top 200 80’s new wave songs, I’m reading that list and getting angry why The Nails’ “88 lines about 44 women” is only 161st.
But these school lists only seem to breed an unhealthy competitiveness. Newsweek’s message is you better load up on the AP classes. But aren’t college admission people saying they don’t want AP robots and resume freaks? Does every Greater New Haven school suck? Of course not. But right now, a lot of kids and teachers are feeling a little defensive. Also, 1,200 schools is just too many. A better, more instructive story would be “The top 10 high schools in America and how they got there.”
“Deborah was a Catholic girl, she held out to the bitter end. Carla was a different type, she’s the one who put it in...”
Loved that song.