"School Rating Scoundrels"

This week's showdown between the Times and the Post education columns goes to the Times, where Sam Freedman dissects the US News decision to put out its own list of best high schools (Putting a Curious Eye on a High School Ranking System).

As I did last week, Freedman highlights the business decision that is behind the new  US News list, detailing how and why US News has branded itself as a "ranker"  rather than competing directly with Time and Newsweek and online outlets. He makes a deeper point about how the ranking contribute to what he calls the  "anxiety industry" -- though failing to note that his paper, the Times, is a major contributor. 

Over at the Post, "Uncle" Jay Mathews covers the same topic in his column -- the Newsweek list is out next week! -- but goes into all sorts of wonky details and justifications that are less interesting, in part because they come from him rather than an outside party (Two Ways to Rate High Schools). Why couldn't he have asked someone else to call around and get reactions to the two lists?  Still, he does compare the lists, which is interesting -- noting, for example, that the US News list includes highly selective public schools, omits several big urban schools, and includes IB schools. And calls himself a "school-rating scoundrel," which is at least endearing.  Oh, Uncle Jay. 

Pictured:  The cover of an old NYTM article by James Traub I just scanned.