U.S. News Lists Best High Schools: Where's Tinley Park?

U.S. News & World Report magazine released its ranking of public schools, and Lincoln-Way East High School ranked among the top high schools in both the state and the country.

READ: U.S. News Ranks L-W East Among Top 50 State High Schools

The Frankfort high school was the only high school in the south suburbs to earn a ranking in the magazine. So where does that leave Tinley Park High School? Does it deserve not being ranked? Or was it short-changed?

Patch asked readers on Facebook: Should Tinley Park High School been on the list? Here's what some of them had to say:

Mike Skillet: yes

Samantha Walleck-Kracke: Nope

Jason Douthett: For what I pay in property tax (70% of which goes toward the school district), Sandburg, Andrew and Stagg should all be on there.

Mary Ellen Tatro-Mendoza: A school is only as good as who walks in the door and what kind of door they walked out of

Faye Al Lawaisi: I find it offensive that the article states the schools were judge on "how effectively schools educated their black, Hispanic....." It insinuates that they need special attention, which I almost find insulting as a minority. Ability to learn and become educated depends on two things, your ability to learn and the quality of education, just because you are a minority, it doesn't make it any less achievable. I don't buy in the idea being a minority puts a person at an educational disadvantage, yet demographics and economical disadvantage may.

Jennifer Anderson Carrig: If part of the criteria is how well the schools are educating their black, Hispanic and economically challenged students.....doesn't that take East out of the running? Do they even have any students of color or economically disadvantaged students?
I myself think TPHS is the better school as far as teachers knowing their students and total integration along both racial and economic lines.
and shouldn't the students themselves be held responsible for what they get out of their education regardless of where they are in attendance?

As a way to compare, I pulled some information from the Illinois Interactive Report Card, set up by Northern Illinois University and the Illinois State Board of Education.

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS

Both high schools did not meet the requirements to for Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years and are on Academic Early Warning Status (AEWS), which means they are eligible for state sanctions.

2012-13 ENROLLMENT AND CLASS SIZE

2012-13 RACE AND ETHNICITY OF STUDENTS

Multiracial/
Ethnicity

0.1%

STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS

2012 TEACHER CHARACTERISTICS IN THE DISTRICT

2012 STUDENT ATTENTION IN THE DISTRICT

FISCAL YEAR 2010-11 FINANCES PER STUDENT IN THE DISTRICT

2012 PERCENTAGE SPENT BY DISTRICTS

SOURCE: Illinois Interactive Report Card

YOUR TURN: Do any of these statistics change your mind? Or just reinforce your opinion? Is this a school or a district issue? Or both? Join the conversation and share your thoughts in the comments section.

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