States Ranked- Massachusetts (smartest) How'd your State do?

[Maine Mary]

Maine was #11.

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/package.jsp?name=fte/smartstates/smartstates

[Devra]

1. delaware 27

Looks like Delaware is about average.

[anarch]

2. I guess my non-state doesn't get to play...

Hmmph! No voting representation in Congress, and now no stupidity rating. What a rip-off!

I'd say we're somewhere between New Mexico and a Bag Full of Hammers, myself...but that's just b/c I see the way people drive around here.

[Maine Mary]

6. Oh....... DC

I wasn't smart enough to pick up on that one at first. Really though, don't you guys go with Virginia? (or is it Maryland?)

[anarch]

16. well, they seem to be rating the public school systems...

so, no, I don't think you can lump dc in with either of its surrounding states. I dunno, I tried to find some kind of link to see how we measure up...here's somebody's op-ed piece, chosen at random:

http://www.dcexaminer.com/articles/2005/10/04/columns/harry_jaffe/38column04jaffe.txt

"Many school buildings are still in deplorable if not shabby condition. Scores are low and dropout rates high. The District still has a functional adult illiteracy rate of 38 percent. "A scandal," a top city official says."

Edited to add: On the other hand, a really nice looking new school building is going up in Columbia Heights, so who knows?

[samdogmom]

17. self delete

[maveric]

3. CA is #43?

Well we did elect Ah-nold for gov...

[Zomby Woof]

7. Public schools in CA have long sucked

It really began a downhill slide after Prop 13 passed in 1978.

The starstruck masses elected Ahnold. I suspect most of them were NOT native Californians, but rather, out of state transplants enamored of Hollywood.

[LibDemAlways]

24. CA school districts are grossly underfunded.

Wealthier districts call on parents to "support" the schools with all kinds of fundraising appeals. We even have one at my daughter's school that is nothing more than an envelope and a suggestion to think big. Also, my community passed a local property tax increase last year for the schools.

Poorer districts are on their own. It's shameful.

[imperialismispasse]

4. number 9

Pretty cool. They are mostly all blue states in the top 10 too arent they?

[Maine Mary]

10. It looks that way for the most part

Mostly blue up top. :-)

[Zomby Woof]

5. #43

But hey, we make up for it by having the best higher ed system in the U.S. outside of the Ivy League.

Our property tax system is so horrible, schools here won't improve anytime soon.

But hey, we beat Mississippi, which isn't hard to do. :D

[deadparrot]

8. 26. nt

[Fox Mulder]

9. MN is number 7.

:)

Edit: Notice that 8 out of 10 of the top ten smartest states are blue states?

[LaraMN]

41. Coleman brought our numbers down. He, of the ugly teeth.

:puke: :puke: :puke:

[Aristus]

11. Man, the Evergreen State ranks 30th! Sheesh!

We've got a lot of dummies in this state, despite Microsoft, Boeing, the University of Washington.

It's repuke Eastern Washington and those dumbfuck Cougars at Wazzu that are throwing off the assessment.

[Zomby Woof]

15. Per the cost of living

They also pay teachers SHIT in WA - ranks 25th in the states on average, with a cost-of-living near the top.

I just wanted to blast that out there - having once been a poor, underpaid teacher in WA. :hi:

Good teachers can only take so much, then they will bail to greener pastures.

[Aristus]

18. My mother and my sister are STILL underpaid teachers in WA!

My mother only FINALLY started getting living wages in the early '90's, after nearly thirty years of teaching. It's a crime, man; I'm tellin' ya, it's a crime!

[Zomby Woof]

21. My hat is off to them!

My best friend is still a teacher there, and is doing a bit better in his new district - but it is criminal!

I am no longer a teacher, so I will quit my gripin'. :hi:

[Left_Winger]

12. SC - A lot better than I would have thought: 32

beat seven of our southern neighbors!

[afdip]

30. to rate us @ #32 they had to be looking at

all the retirees and not the people i grew up with in sc.

[Left_Winger]

55. True

There have been many people moving into our state from elsewhere. For example, I teach in a small town outside of Charlotte and only two to three percent of the students are from this area. I have an overwhelming majority of students from all over the country and the world, in this 'township' (as they call it).

However, the average SAT score at my school, with 77% of the students taking it, was 1060. Not your average SC public school.

I remember when Litchfield was a remote SC resort with only sandlappers as tourists/property owners. Now it is growing into an area populated by retirees and gated communities.

[samdogmom]

13. #5! Yeah! Just have to get rid of those original colonies and then we're

NUMBER 1!

[jane_pippin]

22. We still get ranked #1 for party schools so there's that at least.

:shrug:

[samdogmom]

32. Ha! But then who would put up with the weather and stay?

We need the party school reputation to attract the best students.

[jane_pippin]

34. Egads! It all makes sense now!

Good thinkin'. :thumbsup:

[gizmo1979]

51. No 5 with a bullet down

if state repugs have anything to say about it.

[RetroLounge]

57. Yeah, and getting rid of the repugs will move us up

a few points...

RL

[SarahB]

14. #2

:woohoo:

[underpants]

19. #12!!! the second smartest blue state

behind ....um...Montana :eyes:

[samdogmom]

20. Here's my ( VERY serious) concern--Texas is 33/34!

Our present public educational system (No Child Left Behind) is modeled after Texas. God help us!!!!

[underpants]

23. I wouldn't let it worry you

Texas is tied with West Virginia


:yoiks::scared:

[samdogmom]

33. Good one! Why was I concerned?

Our country has nowhere to go but UP! Yeah!

[WCGreen]

25. OU is the number one party school on a consistent

measure...

And quite frankly, I am amazed that Ohio placed 20th....

[Bunny]

26. We're Number 9!! We're Number 9!! Go PA!!

:thumbsup:

[nutsnberries]

27. woohoo- #1 MA ! ...and yet...

there are still plenty of Hugh Morans around!
what does that tell ya?

[GOPisEvil]

28. I'm shocked we're as high as we are.

There are some good public schools here, but a lot of them are just sorta...not. Of course NCLB started here. :eyes:

[samdogmom]

50. Are you series?

This is HUGH!!1!

[meganmonkey]

29. Poor Michigan

:(

31st place.

Ridiculously high unemployment which will only get worse now that Delphi is going under x(

Not doing so good lately.

But I love it anyway.

[ScreamingMeemie]

46. We're not going under....we're just restructuring...yeah...that's it.

:) I really wish I could have met you in D.C. We really have to get together sometime. :hi:

[UrbScotty]

31. 31st - climbing back up now that Engler has left (nt)

[djeseru]

35. #33? How'd that happen?!

Tying Texas with West Virgina...wow, Texas is moving up!

[av8rdave]

60. That's because the Shrub moved out!!!

n/t

[matcom]

36. WE'RE #1!! WE'RE #1!! WE'RE #1!! WE'RE #1!!

:woohoo: :D

[Felix Mala]

37. WOW: Indiana 17th -- I was looking for it in the 40's...

[Maine-ah]

38. Hello Maine Mary!

:hi: Hey, are those all red states at the bottom of the list?

[Maine Mary]

44. It looks that way

Good too see you! :hi:

[Initech]

39. California moved up!

We were numbe 46 last year! :woohoo:

Woohoo! We're no longer the stupidest state!

[Mojambo]

40. 30th! That's troubling.

I thought we'd be in the teens somewhere.

Oh well. Right in the meaty part of the curve I guess.

[July]

42. Home state, 6, current state 4. Uh, Connecticut . . .

You're number 2. Yay? (Kidding, nice result.)

[progressoid]

43. We're #8! We're #8! We're #8!

IA!!

[Qibing Zero]

45. How on earth did FL get 39th?

I refuse to believe the 'education' I was given was better than 11 states.

No, no, wait... it makes sense that things are even worse than I previously thought. ;)

[William Bloode]

47. #25

Right smack in the middle. Thats good news for North Carolina as we used to rank much lower. I must also add my childeren go to a school district ranked in the top 5 of our state.

[friesianrider]

48. Notice how most blue states are higher on the list...

And most red states are lower....

Just sayin'. ;)

[friesianrider]

49. #9!

Not too shabby! ;)

[BlueIris]

52. OR is 35, which is crap.

I meet people on the street each day who wow me with their brilliance. CRAP.

[bigwillq]

53. WOO HOO! CT is #2!

:bounce:

[El Fuego]

54. Blue at the top and red at the bottom....

I knew it.

[tjdee]

56. Aww yeah, NJ is #4.

:thumbsup:

[-..__...]

58. Just wondering?

Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico are 48/49/50.

California is 43.

Could immigration from South of the border (legal or illegal), account to some degree for the low rankings?

And please, spare me any accusations of "racism".

This is a valid question.

BTW... MA resident here, too.

[av8rdave]

59. Texas - 33, tied with W Va

Of course, we were #50 until * moved to Washington!

av8rdave

[freethought]

61. Top three, all New England States!

I wish Maine had slipped into the Top 10. Rhode Island, well, we'll keep trying. Can't always get your way.

[Orsino]

62. Georgia is #38!

That makes us smarter than, like, thirty other states!

Huh-huh, huh-huh.

[RushIsRot]

63. Wow! I gained 10 points when I moved from Louisiana (46) to

Arkansas (36).

[AccessGranted]

64. Hey...People Laugh At New Jersey but . . . .

we're Number 4! Woooooooooooo Hooooooooooooooooo!

[Catchawave]

65. Va #12

between Maine and Nebraska :hi:

[really annoyed]

66. Michigan - #31!

We've got some work to do to get that ranking up!