It’s not just coincidence that I happen to have gone to elementary (Highland Elementary) and middle school (Sligo Middle School, Banneker Middle School) in Montgomery County, Maryland - where I live now.
A new study by Forbes magazine ranks Montgomery County public schools fifth in the nation "for the buck," with nods to Howard and Loudoun schools for delivering return on educational investment. It ranks D.C. and Alexandria schools among the worst.
The analysis, "Best and Worst School Districts for the Buck," ranks 97 jurisdictions for performance — as measured by SAT data and graduation rates — relative to per-pupil spending. It focuses on locales with populations greater than 65,000 where more than half of school funds come from property taxes.
Oliver, as the parent of two Montgomery County students I can tell you that the graduation rate, a key element of the Forbes calculation, is a fraud. MC counts dropouts only when it knows for sure that a kid has given up on school (and not moved to another district). It makes no effort to follow up when a kid stops attending school or fails to return in a new semester. Because most dropouts don’t file an “I dropped out” form, MC grossly overstates its graduation rate.