Business magazine lauds Lynn English

LYNN – With a new year comes a new honor for Lynn English High School, which was recognized as the best low-income high school in Massachusetts by Business Week Magazine this week.Working in conjunction with the San Francisco-based non-profit Great Schools, Business Week identified the best overall high school in terms of test scores, the best public school with an economically disadvantaged population and the most improved public high school in each of the 50 states.The selections were based on the most recent available state math, reading and science test scores.While English took home the best low-income and disadvantaged school honor, Boston Latin High School was named the best academic high school in the state and Harwich High School in Harwich was named most improved.The survey also included a parent’s choice category, where parents on the Great School’s Web site ranked the best public and private schools in each state. The winners in those categories are Acton-Boxborough Regional High School in Acton and Cathedral High School in Springfield.The honor is the second in as many months for Lynn English High School, which along with Classical High School, was also named to the U.S. News and World Report’s list of the best high schools in America in December.”We are very excited here, we have a phenomenal faculty in this building,” Assistant Principal Thomas Strangie said Friday. “Every decision we make is based on the well-being of the students. We have very high expectations and over and over again the students meet them. The students are what make this work.”Strangie said the school has a variety of programs in place to help students academically both on the MCAS exams and in regular classroom learning.Aside from daytime tutoring programs, teachers volunteer their time to work with students after school and on Saturdays, and the school’s guidance staff identifies problem students and gives them the help that they need.”It all comes together. When the faculty see a kid slipping, they are there right away to give them the support that they need,” he said. “The SPED department here is outstanding, they volunteer on Saturday mornings to help the kids.”This state-by-state survey is the first of its kind at Business Week, which released the information in its latest edition and online at www.businessweek-.com/go/09/bestschools. The goal is to educate parents of high school students on the best available schools in their state, and help families thinking of making a move do so with the knowledge of which schools will help their children the most.”This is traditionally the time of year where families start thinking about where their children will be going to high school in the next year,” said Business Week Editor Charles Dubow. “Do you stay where you are? Do you move? Finding the right school for your children is so important that even in this economy parents may be willing to move or stay put. We want to help them make the best informed decision.”