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 are in MPS
9 are private schools
9 are chartered through MPS
6 are 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 are in MPS (all offering moderate to intensive special education services)
4 are private (three of the schools offer no special education services, the fourth offers basic services)
1 is an independent charter that offers only basic special ed services