On Fox News---Out there states are rated by how smart the inhabitants

[Jim Franklin]

Vermont is tops with AZ last which reflects what I learned while I was at Sun Valley Indian School that Arizona's rank for effectiveness of public schools also rated last. We were trying to lift our Navajos above the public schools there. I would transfer the article to the NazNet if I knew how. But check it out by searching for Fox News and following the link. Dr. Dave, Washington rated a lot lower than one would expect. Idaho probably ranked a lot higher than some would expect but it probably is due to all of the physicists at the National Engineering Lab over by Idaho Falls.

[Vivian Cornwell]

http://www.local6.com/education/10097048/detail.html

Here is a link where you can see the complete list.

I hesitated to post this link because OHIO didn't do very well. KY, TN, SC, AR, etc. did better than Ohio.

At least we were better than WASHINGTON, Dave and better than MI.

[Wilson L. Deaton]

http://www.local6.com/education/10097048/detail.html

Here is a link where you can see the complete list.

I hesitated to post this link because OHIO didn't do very well. KY, TN, SC, AR, etc. did better than Ohio.

At least we were better than WASHINGTON, Dave and better than MI.

Wisconsin makes the top 10 at number 8!!!

I have a small congregation but a disproportionate number of educators: 5 teachers, 1 school psychologist, 1 school counselor, 1 retired teacher, and a seminary administrator/professor. Oh yeah, we worship in a school!

Wilson

[Gary Swartzlander]

The list points out dramatically the problems that Michigan is experiencing as it looses it's grip on the auto industry. While we have several of the top universities in the country the jobs aren't here to keep our young people once they graduate.

Our schools continue to loose funding and make cuts upon cuts to meet unfunded state mandates and other things that continue to drain funding. Ballot issues aren't approved because people refuse to pay more taxes, these same voters elect school board members and then hold them at blame because of the terrible situation that the schools are in.

I have thought often of running for school board, but I honestly can't think of anything that would be harder or more thankless right now than trying to be responsible for providing children with an excellent education.

[Jim Franklin]

I must also add that according to statistics Idaho has the highest percentage of Nazarenes of any state for whatever that is worth.

[Dave McClung]

Vermont is tops with AZ last which reflects what I learned while I was at Sun Valley Indian School that Arizona's rank for effectiveness of public schools also rated last. We were trying to lift our Navajos above the public schools there. I would transfer the article to the NazNet if I knew how. But check it out by searching for Fox News and following the link. Dr. Dave, Washington rated a lot lower than one would expect. Idaho probably ranked a lot higher than some would expect but it probably is due to all of the physicists at the National Engineering Lab over by Idaho Falls.

I don't buy the ranking. Anytime I see a ranking, I want to know what kinds of factors are considered. I looked up the 21 issues that were used to determine whether or not a state is "smart."

One of the factors is how much money is being spent per student. How does spending more money make a student smart? The ranking rewards the inefficient states.

Another factor is teacher to student ratio. I have been in college classes with more than 100 students to one teacher. I have been in other college classes where there were only 6 students per teacher. Does that mean that the students in the smaller class are smarter. I don't think so.

Another factor is the percentage of school age children who are in public schools. I would guess that this is one of the factors that causes Washington to rate lower. We support home schooling and private church schools. Explain to me why a public school student is "smarter" than a private school student.

Another factor is teacher's salary. How does paying teachers more equal "smarter?"

It seems to me that those who prepared the list had an agenda, so I discount the value of the list.

[Jim Franklin]

I was skeptical of its value but thought it would provoke some response. You may be aware that Idaho's governor called a special one day session of our legislature to get a one cent increase in the sales tax to be designated for school funding and our teachers are among the lowest paid in the country. Our students rate fairly well on national tests compared to the ranking of our teachers' pay Idaho feels like it gets a bargain from its teachers. Some teachers who come to visit Idaho from other states actually offer to come here to teach just because of the outdoor recreational opportunities.

As far as small classes I fully agree that just having a small class does not necessarily equal smarter or better educated students. Mainly I was trying to discover some geographical significance to the rankings.