[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=hSTzLILQx3c[/youtube]

I have learned in the past year that test scores are no indication of the success of a school. Sure, it bails out the administrators and perhaps lets the teachers stay employed but ultimately, it isn’t anything any parent ought to use as a reliable indicator of how successful a school is on an individual level.

My daughter’s school has off-the-charts test scores and you’d think, on paper, that it’s one of the best public elementary schools in Los Angeles. But the truth is, that is absolutely no indication of the success or failure of the school.¬† Her school gets its high test scores because of the high-achieving magnet and if the home school should happen to drop off the map it doesn’t impact the test scores overall because the magnet’s scores are so high. Therefore, there is no incentive for this school to keep up the learning at all levels. My choice? Dump the magnet system, which not only isn’t working but isn’t helping the schools that aren’t magnets. Meanwhile, Charter schools are popping up all over the city. Perhaps that is the future.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=EjRLnUiDFdU#[/youtube]