Amistad High Ranked #1

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/mass_walkout_at_amistad_high/

One has only to visit this school once or twice, and speak with a few randomly selected students (as I have done) to conclude there is something gravely wrong--or strangely innovative-- with the way US News and World Report awards the "Connecticut's Best High School."

The private take over of public space and institutions has been normalized, for sure. And US News & World Report's use of its dubious but accepted ranking of colleges and universities now applied to secondary schools proves just how status quo such a thing has become.

Status quo does not equal right, however. Slavey, second class citizenship for women, and oppression of gays was status quo too. Just because it is accepted, does not mean that it is right.

The Rev. Samuel T. Ross-Lee

I compared the stats of Amistad High (ranked 1 in CT) and Common Ground High (ranked 22 in CT).

Both are charter schools located in New Haven.

USNWR is using some very fuzzy math to make these determinations because AH and CGHS are not miles apart in the quality of the schools.

I know, because (1) my child has attended CGHS for nearly four years and (2) I am a experienced licensed teacher in CT.

To really see the odidites, go on line to see the state and national rankings put forth by USNWR. Weston High School is ranked second to Amistad. Look at the particular statistics of both schools. Any close inspection sees that Weston has higher stats except for one: college martriculation. Amistad = 100% and Weston = 78%.

Consider the AP exam pass rate of the two schools: Amistad = 48% Weston = 88% ... almost double! does that sound second to you?

The above should at least make one question the USNWR rankings.

Consider that Trumkkkp won the election and installed Betsy DeVos [Eric (of Blackwater infamy) Prince's sister] as Secretary of Education. She is a corporate charter school champion. And, of course Amistad High belongs to the corporate charter organization, Achievement First, Inc.

Consider next that the Great Recession of 2008 was largely precipitated by toxic ollateralized Debt Obligations (CDO's) that were given bogus AAA credit ratings by the previously respected Moody's and Standard and Poor's credit ranking agencies.

In short, very public "rankings" are no longer to be trusted just because they may have been relatively accurate in the past.

I would urge all who read this article to put their critical thinking caps on.

In 2015, Robert Cotto wrote:

"At Amistad Academy charter school, 37 students started the ninth grade in 2008. By the end of senior year, there were 15 graduates. Using simple math, that should mean the graduation rate is 41 percent. But according to the state and federal departments of education, the official graduation rate was 71 percent.

How can one calculation get us to 41 percent, but another get us to 71 percent?

In 2011, the federal government began requiring all states to report graduation rates in a uniform way. The method that the U.S. Department of Education adopted was called the "Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate," or ACGR. The idea was supposed to be simple:

They obviously have not spoken to any students or any parents. That school is a prison and the children are treated like inmates!

If the rankings are based on last year's data, then credit should be given to former principal Claire Polcrak who was ousted to make way for Morgan Barth. Why would AF move the best principal in the state / its network?

Also, Teach For America teachers are working at this school. Any decent educator knows that this school and this list are a sham.

Parents, students, and citizens will see this bogus list and get tricked by it.