| Increased Interest in School Rankings | | | | |
| | | | All parents want to give their children the |
| It's difficult to remember a time when the | | | | best possible education, regardless of their |
| public school system in this country was | | | | socio-economic status or which part of town |
| under greater scrutiny. Newsweek is running | | | | they live in. That's a given. It's a |
| features on the subject, there are a plethora | | | | different scenario when parents can afford to |
| of sites online that cater to a growing | | | | live in any part of town they choose, and |
| demand for comprehensive school rankings, and | | | | have access to any number of schools for |
| that most vociferous of public speech | | | | their children. But for parents who find |
| mechanisms, the blogosphere, has enough to | | | | that their children's schools have been |
| say on the subject of listing schools based | | | | placed low on school rankings, it can be |
| on rankings. Now, the richest man in the | | | | demoralizing to say the least. Such parents |
| world has stepped into the picture. In the | | | | might find it difficult to motivate their |
| summer of 2006, Bill Gates and his wife | | | | children enough. |
| Melinda announced the education program goals | | | | |
| of their charitable foundation, the Bill and | | | | Effects of Low School Rankings on Teachers |
| Melinda Gates Foundation. | | | | |
| | | | A public school teacher's job is an |
| The announcement of the Gates' proposed | | | | unthankful one, and for teachers in the low |
| education goals couldn't have come at a more | | | | school rankings areas it makes a tough job |
| appropriate time. The public education system | | | | even harder. And it's really difficult to |
| in the country is under growing pressure to | | | | teach in a poorly funded and low-income |
| deliver amid increasing concerns that the | | | | school. Low school rankings can mean that |
| country's schools are churning out | | | | funding for the school is considerably |
| semi-literate youngsters who might be ill | | | | lowered, and this cuts into any programs that |
| equipped to handle college level jobs in the | | | | the school may have planned. Although there |
| real world. Proponents of school rankings | | | | are some instances when low school rankings |
| insist that these listings give high school | | | | will qualify a school for extra help. |
| authorities a picture of where their schools | | | | |
| stand overall. These schools, they argue, | | | | Effects of Low School Rankings on Students |
| can thus be motivated to better their schools | | | | |
| rankings. As well intentioned as the idea | | | | Keeping dropout levels low in poor areas is |
| behind school rankings may be, there is | | | | tough enough without the added stigma of |
| enough to indicate that such listings may not | | | | attending a "sub par" school. Does that mean |
| always have the desired results on the | | | | we should eliminate school rankings to save |
| quality of education offered at those schools | | | | student's feelings? Of course not. But |
| that are placed lower in the rankings. | | | | parents and administrators need to be aware |
| | | | of the both the benefits and pitfalls of the |
| Effects of Low School rankings on Parents | | | | school ranking system. |