Letter: School rankings require a broader focus

To the Editor: In today’s reality of a never ending stream of available information and content, we are inundated with all types of polls and rankings. Whether it’s the best diet plan for your age group, the best car to suite your lifestyle and budget, or even the best smartphone for those who are left-handed, there seems to be a poll and subsequent ranking for just about anything and everything. Take our schools for instance. In a variety of recent polls Trumbull Public Schools (TPS) are ranked as performing very well in some, while others show our schools not performing as well in comparison to other schools in the respective polls. While these rankings provide a snapshot by which to compare and evaluate a moment in time, they should not be the sole item by which we frame the entire picture of the topic being surveyed — in this case our schools. If we are to zoom-out a bit, we would see other reference points come into view such as; the average TPS Total SAT score between 2011-2015 is 30 points higher than the average total score over the previous five year period; that 93% (221) of the 237 High School AP Students achieved a score of 3+ (3+ is defined as “the score point that research finds predictive of college success and college graduation.); the addition of four new High School AP Courses next year, bringing the total AP offerings to 21; a commitment to integrating new emotional health programming to assist our educators in further developing an environment where all students are able to actualize their full potential; former THS football standouts being drafted by the NFL; and the list could continue. While a sub-par ranking on any single poll doesn’t illustrate the full picture, it does provide a reminder as to why we cannot become complacent. We should all support and be confident in the abilities of our forward thinking school administration, the dedication of our highly skilled faculty, and the passion of our parent advocacy groups working together to produce a Trumbull Public School System we can and should be proud of. As the father of two elementary-aged children, I know I am. Matt CaronTown Council – District 4

Recommended