How to Judge a School System?
August 26th, 2008
I received my Community Newsletter from the Holliston Public Schools last week. It is the type of information that I hope every town resident receives. I do not have kids in school, but it is an interesting read.
A client looking for a home in the area turned me on to another school website that you may find interesting.
Prior to using this site, my wife turned to www.SchoolMatters.com. She passed it along to our real estate clients as a good resource. It was attractive for the clear and concise information laid out to the reader.
The data from the state website is more thorough and up to date, but it is a jumble of data.
Massachusetts Department of Education
and the Individual school district’s No Child Left Behind Report Card data:
As a Realtor, I am always asked about whether a town has a “good” school system. The answer is
a tough one to come up with. Do I give the wishy washy answer of “a school system is as good as your child makes of it.”?
I personally think this is statement is true, since disciplined study and striving for knowledge usually will lead to high scores on standardized testing and many extracirricular activities can be accomplished outside of a school system. Granted, the poorly run schools will have many more distractions socially, and perhaps less modern tools at the students disposal.
I attended Holliston Public Schools. My father was a science teacher in Framingham. His larger school system allowed students to have more opportunities to take unique courses. Subjects offered were Astronomy, Geology, Oceangraphy, et al. This was in addition to the typical Biology, Physics, and Chemistry we had in Holliston.
Was Framingham a better school system for this reason? It certainly makes me consider a larger school system for my child’s education.
When I first started real estate in Framingham, I had many clients voicing reservations about Framingham and the school system. Sometimes the reason for this were concerns that their child would get “lost” in the large system.
I came across a stat back then that Framingham offered the lowest student-teacher ratio out of all the area communities. This handy fact helped me to present the perceptions people have compared to the reality of the situation.
I am greatful we live in a region that has very good opportunities in public education. I feel that these schools are offering a great education to our children and will keep the area growing strong.
Where do you find school data? What data is important to you? Write me a comment to shed some light!
Ed Daniels of The MAhome Team can be reached at 508-341-7880. Ed is a Full-time Realtor with Re/max Executive Realty, a leading brokerage in the Metrowest Boston area.
Categories: Framingham, Holliston, School Info
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