In August, as we were planning our coverage of area high schools for this issue, Executive Editor Tina Eshleman invited a group of eight area teachers for a roundtable discussion to help guide the focus. Though Tina and I are both parents of high school students and are intimately familiar with the ins and outs of today’s secondary education environment, we wanted to hear firsthand from those who work on the front lines: What’s it really like to work with teens inside a classroom? What are the greatest challenges teachers face? What gives them the most hope?
In past years, the magazine has ranked area high schools, and we contemplated doing so again this year. But after speaking to these teachers and reflecting on how rankings only tell part of the story, we decided to take a different approach, instead looking at more subjective factors that also contribute to a successful and positive educational environment: parental involvement, diversity, communications, enrichment activities, stability and a sense of community, among other factors.
“There’s no such thing as a bad school,” one teacher commented during our discussion. “Test scores don’t reveal a whole lot. … [Rankings] may impact where people choose to live, but they don’t help the schools.”
It was illuminating to hear the teachers’ perspectives and inspiring to witness their dedication to what is a challenging — and vitally important — job with little financial reward.
We also talked to current students to get their perspectives on what makes a great high school for them. In addition to their responses included in the feature, I wanted to share a few more of their thoughts:
“A GREAT SCHOOL … needs to have faculty and other students who understand that different students require different tools to help them be successful. There also has to be diversity so no one feels like they don’t fit in somewhere.” —Kaylan Dunning, Varina High School senior
“A GOOD RELATIONSHIP between faculty and students. At Community, I always know that I have my teachers to go to with any personal issues. You’re not seen as a number, you’re seen as an individual.” —Emmaline Clark, Richmond Community High School senior
“BEING IN AN AUTHENTIC environment, where people are all striving to do their best.” —Joe Bamisile, Monacan High School senior
These quotes help show that what teens need most to be successful is to be understood and supported by caring adults. That’s something that can’t be measured by a standardized test.
