Report: RI's Best Teachers Work in Portsmouth

Portsmouth High School has some of the best teachers in the state, according to a recent report of teacher rankings across Rhode Island.

Niche.com recently released its 2015 list of high schools with the best teachers throughout the nation, as well as the state of Rhode Island, and many schools you’ll recognize received high ranks, including Portsmouth High School.

Students at the town’s high school have consistently scored high on standardized tests as compared to the rest of the state. And reviews from parents and students are overwhelmingly positive.

“Though PHS has some ups and downs, it’s probably as good as it’s going to get,” said one high school sophomore.

To get a sense of the school’s success, consider the worst comments posted on the Niche site. One is a complaint about how long it takes for dropped food to get picked up. Another bemoans the lack of clubs. A few others note that teachers have to pick up the tab for classroom supplies and there might be a bias towards football and track.

“There are only two clubs available, Green Club and Sailing. There are few sports as well and there is unfair funding, football and track have had millions worth renovation when art teachers have to pay for their own supplies out of their paychecks,” said a high school junior.

A parent said their child’s experience “has been okay” and though teachers try to do all they can for their students, “their hands are tied when they are not receiving the support from the upper administration or financial support from the town.”

But those comments are drowned out by people who said they felt they had more opportunities at PHS than they’d get in other districts.

“There are a wide variety of extracurriculars at the school that are for people of a wide variety of interests. One thing I like about my school is that if it does not have a extracurricular that you want, then you have the opportunity to create it yourself,” said a senior.

Many noted that no school is perfect and Portsmouth’s issues are the types of problems every school faces: cellphone use, not enough understanding of food allergies and options for people with allergies, occasional bullying issues, and a lack of diversity.

In addition to naming the overall best high schools, Niche.com also ranked schools with the best extracurricular activites, facilities, food, outcomes, sports and more.

Niche ranked more than 100,000 public and private schools and districts based on dozens of statistics and 27 million opinions from 300,000 students and parents. View the full methodology here.

Somewhat surprisingly, teachers in Barrington and East Greenwich — school districts frequently listed among the best in the state — are not in the top 25, according to Niche.com’s criteria. Here is a look at the state’s top 25 of 53 public high schools with the best teachers in RI, as ranked by Niche.com:

1. Classical High School, Providence
2. Portsmouth High School
3. Narragansett High School
4. North Kingstown Senior High School
5. Exeter-West Greenwich Regional High School
6. South Kingstown High School
7. Westerly High School
8. Lincoln Senior High School
9. Coventry High School
10. Chariho Regional High School
11. Smithfield Senior High School
12. Rogers High School, Newport
13. Warwick Veterans Memorial High School
14. North Providence High School
15. Ponaganset High School, North Scituate
16. Cranston High School East
17. Burrillville High School
18. Cranston High School West
19. Pilgrim High School, Warwick
20. Toll Gate High School Warwick
21. Scituate High School
22. Central High School, Providence
23. Middletown High School
24. Cumberland High School
25. Mount Pleasant High School, Providence