[Travis Hoffman]

Last rant, I promise.

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Hmm.....why doesn't this surprise me?

Beachwood, Aurora, Solon, Shaker Heights, Pepper Pike, Chagrin Falls......All of the ranked Cleveland-area schools seem to be located in VERY affluent suburban locations.

So, ultimately, in order to be considered the "best", it all boils down to who has the most $$$$???

It's the American Way....

I'd truly love to see a list of the most successful high schools whose hallways weren't paved with gold, whose teachers and administrators were at a significant disadvantage due to inadequate resources, and whose student population was filled with a higher percentage of troubled/misguided youth. Those schools who manage to do more with less - the ones who can turn not only the well-mannered but also the troubled, the poor, and the forgotten into college students - THOSE are the schools I'd consider the best in the nation, because they are inspiring students and creating futures for those who never believed they had any. Unfortunately, the educational handicap these schools are living with prevents them from saving as many as they'd like to. The next Dean Kamen could be working on his parents' farm right now in rural Ohio, and we might never see that kid become a great contributor to society because his school is denied the same educational programs that wealthier schools have.

It's your loss, America.