From: Black Unicorn <unicorn@schloss.li>
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 09:58:42 +0800
To: ronsimpson <ronsimpson@unidial.com>
Subject: Re: Public Schools
In-Reply-To: <324BD4FD.3372@unidial.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.94.960927175632.24094G-100000@polaris>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Fri, 27 Sep 1996, ronsimpson wrote:

> I hate to burst any bubbles but, the school with the highest number of
> National Merit Finalists and highest number of 1600 SATs is a Public
> High School (Jefferson High in Fairfax, VA)

As a former Fairfax resident I can tell you that the reason the school
preforms so well is because of the immense income from local property
taxes, and because the Fairfax school system has taken great pains to
maintain autonomy and freedom from the public school system at large.
They have managed, quite effectively, to create a private school that
receives public funds and keeps out interlopers.  They have my admiration
for this task.

I can also point out that everyone in the Greater D.C. area is trying to
get their kids into the various Fairfax schools.  Some resort to lying to
the DMV about their address to do so.  It is a measure of the clout of the
Fairfax school system that a few complaints have triggered a crackdown on
district monitoring which (surprise surprise) is concentrated in Fairfax.

--
I hate lightning - finger for public key - Vote Monarchist
unicorn@schloss.li