Top public schools: Large U.S. cities

"Sorry - I attended Virginia Beach public schools and made the mistake of starting my son in the 'top' elementary school there. The system is so incredibly disorganized; gang activity in the schools is not acknowledged by the Administration, the technology offered is primitive...I had to pull my son out and send him to private school. If the Virginia Beach public school system is #5 in the country, that is a sad statement for the quality of the public school system in the USA."

"Honolulu?? That one choice alone destroys the credibility of this article. I speak from experience. My children have attended public school in three states. I tried to keep an open mind about Hawaii public schools when we moved here. I learned the hard way. Furlough Fridays were a disgrace. My daughter's elementary school (one of the better ones) was ok - the GT program was the redeeming factor, but most kids don't have access to that program. My son attended the public middle school, which was horrible. The teachers don't care and the pricipal is so unprofessional it's a joke. If you need help they are living on 'island time' - multiple days to get any response if you're lucky enough to get a response at all. This year I put my daughter in private school because I refuse to subject her to that substandard middle school. My son is now in the public high school. We're only a few weeks into the school year so it's too soon to evaluate the high school experience, b! ut instantly I had the confirmation that I needed that the private school I selected for my daughter will be worth every penny. The teachers answer emails within hours. The assignments are challenging. The standards are high. Did the researchers consider the ridiculous grading system for the Hawaii elementary schools? I don't need to write pages about the serious problems in Hawaii's public schools - it's all out there and easy to find online. What a shame the author of the article didn't bother to do any research. "

"It seems a bit misleading that Virginia Beach would make a list of best schools. Great Schools offers only a score of 7 out of 10 for any of it's highschools and I went to the 2010 Newsweek best schools list and Virginia Beach rates extremely low. In Fact Princess Anne has the highest rank at 123. Perhaps they are on the rise but I haven't found anything to support this as a great school district. "

"Obviously this writer does not have children in Wake County Schools. The people voted for a new school board because the 'best schools' have limited seats and buses rule the road. Also, Cary is part of the Wake Co. school system and had a voice in the vote to change a badly broken system."

"There is NOTHING great about Raleigh's schools, except for a few fine teachers. Based on experience, I choose to home school my children. Those in favor of 'diversity' refuse to admit that the policy has not helped the children who need help. The magnet High Schools, Broughton and Enloe, are providing 'private school' education at tax-payers' expense for 'some' students, while the graduation rates for minorities at these schools is below the average of the non-magnet schools. The magnet students are segregated from the base students within the school. It's way past time to admit the integration policy has not achieved any significant results. Wake County already had, and continues to have, schools that are 70% F&RL under the past 'diversity' board members. Segregated schools existed before the new board was elected. Some need to stop making everything about race and put energy toward making changes that actually result in a quality education for all. I wonder how many hours the members of the NAACP and Barbour's 'church' spend volunteering at the schools, doing their part to help the children that have no good role models at home, or in their neighborhoods? Public schools cannot make up for poor parenting. School is a resource, responsible parenting is the primary source for success in life. "

"Check news reports on Wake County School Board meetings. Supporters of the current system disrupt meetings and get hauled to jail in the name of civil disobedience. This is what the current system has produced! Not what we want our children to learn. But the voters had the final say--at the polls with no police needed. Legally and quietly."

"Good article! Thanks."

"Thank for sharing this articles. I really like the area and wish to move there!"

"Raleigh? For real? I live here, and I must ask who paid the staff off to put Raleigh on the list. The school district has no concept regarding growth management. I've been redistricted 4 times in 3 years (no 'choices' here)! If you review our test scores, they've been steadily on the decline, with the majority of our schools failing to make Adequate Yearly Progress, many going on the fifth year of failure. Budget cuts have our classes overcrowded, with most bumping the state caps (24 per class is typical for K-3, while grades above that routinely have 32-34). The district is building new schools in hopes to reduce the overall number of students in 'portables' (aka trailers) below 35%, but they fail to manage these projects. On the most recent attempt to build a new school, the whole construction budget was blow on site prep without a single brick being laid. The district keeps putting band-aids on the problems, such as allowing students to take the EOGs several times! and counting only the best scores. Of course, one can't forget the constant bussing and integration debates (regardless of moral stance, our neighbors in Mecklenberg abandoned bussing in favor of community schools years ago, and have better results to show for it). I could go on, but please, if you really think you want to be here, do your research and come for a visit."

"Have you not done your homework in researching Honolulu's public schools? Hawaii ranks 48th worse among the states in public schools. If you have any opportunity to go private you do starting as early as possible. This article makes me distrust all the information on this website. "

"This is a joke. Our public school system is broken and the biggest budget item in the State. Furlough Fridays have resulted in 163 day school years plus the students get out at 1:30 on Wednesdays."

"No way! How much did you get paid to say that Honolulu or ANY Hawaii public school belongs in the top ten??? The shortest school year, 163 'days', the shortest school day, barely 6 hours from foot off the bus to foot on the bus, 17 furlough fridays, labor disputes, lack of parental involvement, etc. This sounds like a survey fueld by the American Association of Realtors to boost real estate sales, not a data driven survey. Interesting to note that not one public school was named by name with their test scores. This pick is bogus."

"Overall, I am encouraged by the recommendations to have better communication, collaboration, and accountability between Program for Students with Exceptionalities and general education administrators and principals. I agree that organization could be more efficient. I disagree, however, with the recommendation that the Transition department lose a position. This is an area of vital importance as students are being readied to enter the workforce, and is very specialized within the special education regulations. The district can not afford to lose personnel in this area."

"The previous post about Pittsburgh Public Schools is just ridiculous. While Pittsburgh does have unaddressed issues with teaching to the average, high cost to the taxpayer per pupil, and 100% African American schools, it is utterly false that the district closes their ears to parental input. Every month there is a district wide meeting called the EFA Parent Meeting where the superintendent is present 4 times a year. it is open for ALL parents. There is also a parents hotline that is available for anyone who has concerns, and a portal for parents to monitor student attendance and grades in almost real time. If any parent WANTS to be involved Pittsburgh Public Schools offer plenty of opportunities. I suggest you come to an EFA meeting before you vent your frustrations on the web."

"I would have to disagree with the article praising Honolulu as a great place to raise and school children. The public school system here is terrible and with the introduction of 'Furlough Fridays', it's about to get a lot worse. Also, the cost of private school here is huge. Oh and then there is the huge crystal meth problem here on the island."

"Well, I DO live in Pgh. And the schools are very good here. My sons attended the publics here and we are very satisfied. I see we're the only rust belt city, heck, the only one from a northern clime, and I think this says a lot. Pittsburgh is awesome and the schools are but one reason why."

"Pittsburgh Public Schools used to be wonderful 25 years ago. Today they are a mislead district that is resegregating the student population and providing poor quality of education to children trapped in high poverty communities -- and average education to everyone else. They do not comunicate sufficiently with parents and pretty much ignore any concern or issue expressed by the broader community. Pittsburgh needs to get it together."

"As a resident of the Houston, Texas, area, and someone who grew up in San Jose, and also still has a Mother living there, I have to wonder exactly what 'standards' the people who devised this list are looking at? First of all, these are NOT what I would call the BIG cities, for since when are Mesa or Portland considered big cities? If you are going to have just three sizes, you should have the BIGGEST cities in the BIG category! The schools in my area, specifically the Cy-Fair school district, are full of exemplary and recognized schools, and do VERY, VERY well! Not one single school district or schools in any large city in Texas could qualify? REALLY? And yet you chose Honolulu???? Because of ONE school, not even a district? California schools were great when I attended them in San Jose, but they are failing miserably now. I think there was a HUGE bias in this so-called 'top ranking', and by EVERYONE'S standards who ACTUALLY have children in these districts and schools,! you did a terrible job! I think you need to leave politics OUT of your calculations, for it is pretty obvious that is why you included the places that you did, and omitted cities that TRULY deserved to be in there!"

"I see the problem. If EVERYONE went to public schools and put in the time and effort - as well as what money you can afford in the way of taxes specifically targeted for the schools - most private schools expect you top contribute, then the public schools wouldn't be in such trouble."

"As one of the editors of these stories I wanted to respond to some of the comments about this big city list. According to our data, these are the best that big cities have to offer -- but when compared to other mid-sized and smaller cities they wouldn't make the list. (The educational quality score signals this at the top of every slide.) So while the list is indeed accurate (according to test scores and other objective criteria available to us -- check our methodology story) some schools in these big cities may not meet residents' standards. (A couple of cities were cut because of their high unemployment rates.) As a parent of children in San Francisco public schools, I know exactly what you are referring to. At the same time, this list speaks to the reality of the largest public school districts across America. "

"As one of the editors of these stories I wanted to respond to some of the comments about this big city list. According to our data, these are the best that big cities have to offer -- but when compared to other mid-sized and smaller cities they wouldn't make the list. (The educational quality score signals this at the top of every slide.) So while the list is indeed accurate (according to test scores and other objective criteria available to us -- check our methodology story) some schools in these big cities may not meet residents' standards. (A couple of cities were cut because of their high unemployment rates.) As a parent of children in San Francisco public schools, I know exactly what you are referring to. At the same time, this list speaks to the reality of the largest public school districts across America. "

"I live in one of those 'Florida' areas and know the other quite well. Let's just say...there is absolutely no merit to this report at all. I just wanted to put that out there lest someone 'move' here for the schools."

"As a resident of Hawaii, seeing Honolulu here makes me seriously doubt the accuracy of this list. Hawaii's schools are consistently ranked among the worst in the country. Finding a good public school here is like finding a needle in a haystack. Most of the best-performing students flee the public school system to the state's many private schools. As proof, Hawaii has the highest private-school participation rate in the country at nearly 20 percent. Great Schools, you really need to reexamine your methodology on this one."

"you must be thinking of a different Mesa. The Mesa I see has pockets of good like many cities, but also a large population of low income, illegal aliens. So I cannot imagine their public schools are all so great.. Plus AZ is in a financial crisis and many of the disctricts are cutting back staffing and increasing class size."

"Tampa, I don't think so!!"

"Caveat emptor! The recent changes implemented by the Republican backed Wake County School Board are threatening the underpinnings which made Raleigh schools the envy of the country. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2010/0324/Busing-to-end-in-Wake-Cou nty-N.C.-Goodbye-school-diversity Basically all the things that made Raleigh better than average are being systematically dismantled by the right-leaning members of the Board. "

"Hello, I love living in Honolulu, but if you ask any local, the public schools in general are not favored. Many scrimp and save to send their child to private school because of the low scores and under-funding at public schools. The information you have for the student ratio of 14 to 1 may be true of the charter schools, but my son's public school kindergarten class has 28 students. In order to send my son to a public school that has decent scores, I had to apply for a Geographic Exception (GE). After being turned down by three schools through the lottery system (everyone is trying to get their kid in those schools because they are good), I kept looking but had no chance at other schools because the lottery was over, and the waiting lists long. I looked into two charter schools, but am uncomfortable with the office-setting and no playground. I was finally able to find a school on the windward side that accepted us. I am very happy and don't mind the beautiful 10-minute ! drive, but it took some work to find this school. Our plans are to start private school once our son reaches intermediate school."