From: user@example.net   
      
   On 2/17/2026 2:00 PM, Don Y wrote:   
   > On 2/17/2026 10:39 AM, bitrex wrote:   
   >   
   >> Louisiana doesn't have a lot of money to spend on public education but   
   >> they seem to allocate what they have pretty well. The fact that some   
   >> other red states like Oklahoma seem actively trying to destroy their   
   >> pubic education system has likely helped LA in the rankings.   
   >   
   > "Rankings".  Isn't that the equivalent of saying "Heart Disease is (ranked)   
   > the number one killer in the country" -- knowing that once you address THAT   
   > cause of death, something else will be "number one" and just as many people   
   > will be dying?   
   >   
   > "Absolute" scores on standardized tests are more important.  And, the trend   
   > line -- locally and nationally.   
   >   
   > Who cares if you're "number 1" if *everyone* is doing poorly!  It's not a   
   > case of squeezing a balloon but, rather, the balloon has a LEAK!   
      
   Everyone's not doing poorly, the e.g. MA public education system would   
   compare favorably with Japan, Singapore, Germany and the Scandinavian   
   countries if MA were an independent nation   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)