Ok so what exactly is the deal with the school districts? How much difference is there between the good and mediocre schools? It almost makes me think we should do something like some Asian nations where you test into your high school, but suspect there is something cultural that would stop that from working.
@OneBigHappy at least has a plan, that is better than a lot of people that have a lot of debts. Not for me, but my priorities are very different. Also, wish my blog got lots of attention. Guess I got to write more controversial things.
I think that's going to depend a LOT on where you live.
To some:
Bad schools are anything that scores less than an 8/10
Bad schools are physically dangerous (weapons, gangs)
Bad schools are a euphemism for "poor people" or "brown people" or "English learners"
Bad schools are "disinterested teachers"
Bad schools are "uninterested students"
In some areas, you might have a student body with no hope, and kids who are disruptive and don't want to learn. That can make it hard for those who do want to learn.
In some areas, you might have a student body that is dangerous.
In my area, the "bad schools" are predominantly poor and filled with English learners.
The teachers are fabulous.
The kids are great. They are just poor, and many of them are learning English. Many of them have parents who don't speak English. So their parents cannot help them with school work.
Often they live several families to a house, which is distracting.
The "good schools" are predominantly white and wealthy. I just got done going to the open house for the local junior high. There are 4 junior highs in our district, with open transfers, depending on space. But of course, certain elementary schools "feed" into specific junior highs, based on address. I went to the open house, and at the end walked over to ask some questions about their very highly regarded honors program, while a stream of white upper-middle class families, from the #1 elementary school (where the parents raise an astonishing $600,000 per year for the PTO - in a school with 600 students) - lined up with their transfer forms. You see, the school 4 miles away, on the other side of town, happens to pull students from mostly upper middle class elementary schools. So that school is "#1" meaning "filled with white kids".
Now, if you look at the almighty test scores, you'll find that the smaller local school's white kids score AS WELL AS (and in some cases, better than) this other school. BUT the student body is mostly Hispanic. Thus, it's a "bad school". I mean, for crying out loud they are the only junior high to provide free lunch AND dinner (because they have after school programs and tutoring until 7 pm) to all students.
Some people really really want their kids to be surrounded by kids "like them". They want their kids at that school where they raise $600k because then Johnny and Janie get to go on every field trip, get free t-shirts, go on trips to DC and Europe, all to pad their resumes so they can get into an Ivy League school.