Exit Interview

Sabrina Moreno reports  that Richmond's Open and Community high schools ranked very high on the U.S. News and World Reports rankings [ 2 Richmond high schools among top 10 in Virginia ]. Immediately I looked askance at these rankings and wanted to dig deeper. As educators, we need to not just reflexively accept these at face value.  Even still, like anyone, I was curious about schools I had attended, schools where friends and family have children in attendance, schools near where I live, and of course, schools I have taught in. I was really taken aback at some of the "low" rankings on the list, including that of a very high achieving school system in the Northeast. I immediately called one of my oldest friends, the chair of that district's school board to discuss her take on these rankings. Questions we discussed include: What do these rankings mean?  Why was the list compiled? What biases inform this list? What agenda is served by these rankings? How are these rankin...