HOW GOOD ARE OUR SCHOOLS?
I have been an active realtor for over 15 years. Unlike many other realtors this was not my only career choice. I was a practicing attorney in NYC , I have been involved in several IT startups and have been associated with universities, junior colleges and or high schools for over 35 years as a teacher and track coach. I pride myself on having an understanding of how schools function and I have spent many years helping high school students get into college. Having coached at a university level and been involved in the recruiting admission process, I feel that I have insight into what a college looks at when they are deciding whether to accept a student. I have helped countless high school applicants choose schools and work their way through the admission process. I have also taught language arts and history in high school and law in college on both coasts. When showing homes I always provide information regarding the local schools. People pay close attention to the API ratings. I do not know how many times clients have said I do not want to purchase that home because it is in the blank school district and has a lower API RATING. Quite often clients will buy a home because the local elementary school has an API RATING that is 10 points higher than its neighboring school. Is the API rating the end all for evaluating a prospective school, or school district? As an experienced teacher and parent I say NO. The rating is based on a standardized test that has no academic consequences. The results of the test are compared with schools that have similar demographics. Is it a useful tool ?YES .Is it accurate ? NO. The problem is that the students are aware of the fact that the scores do not affect their grades. I have observed students guessing their way through the multiple choice parts of the test. Many students treat the testing period as a mini vacation. There are plenty of students who take it seriously but there are many that don’t. In addition a school is not supposed to teach to the test. Some follow that rule but others don’t. Unfortunately the results of the tests have an effect on funding and the future of school administrators can be influenced by the results, so some teachers and principals will secretly prepare the students for the test. For example Mohr elementary in Pleasanton has the highest API rating in the district. Is it the best elementary school for your child because its rating is 10 points higher than another school? I cannot answer that question for you. But in a follow up blog I will provide you with some other simple tools for evaluating a school. MORE TO COME AT A LATER DATE