Great Schools rankings may challenge your notions of local choices

Last week, I spied a copy of the new Great Schools school finder which rates all the area public, charter and private schools to help parents make informed choices.

The schools get a number rating, from 1 to 10, based on test scores, school climate and improvement. The rankings are also online.

Despite keeping an eye out, I haven’t yet found a copy of my own so that I can really sink my teeth into the ratings. But today, a reader and concerned Milwaukee parent contacted me to share a little number crunching achieved with the new school finder.

The results may surprise you.

His analysis showed that of the K-8 and K-5 schools  earning a 5 or better on the overall rating:

• 32 were in MPS
• 9 were private schools
• 9 were chartered through MPS
• 6 were chartered through UWM or the City of Milwaukee

Three of those MPS schools scored 8 or above and one private school and one independent charter got 9s.

Among high schools scoring 4 or above:

• 5 were in MPS (all offering moderate to intensive special education services)
• 4 were private (three of the schools offer no special education services, the fourth offers basic services)
• 1 was an independent charter that offers only basic special ed services

Bobby Tanzilo was born in Brooklyn, where he attended public school from kindergarten through 12th grade. He writes about education – among other things – for OnMilwaukee.com. He is a public school dad and serves on the school governance council at his child's school.

Connect me on Twitter | Website