Doug posted some statistics on Knoxville schools. There are more statistics available here and here and here. The News-Sentinel posts a yearly report card comparing all the Knox County schools around the same time that parents get their child’s TCAP scores, but I can’t seem to find that report online.

Statistics aside, somewhere in the News-Sentinel archives there is a photo that proves I have been in West High School. It’s from a 9/11 forum and you don’t need to tell me how much younger I looked back then. The photo doesn’t tell you that I attended the forum as part of my job and as such, I arrived way before the forum to make a display table of information. What I can’t tell you, are the stories I heard from parents all over Knox County about their experiences at the different schools. I also can’t tell you about my experiences attending meetings at the different schools. Still, those experiences have made impressions in my mind about each and every school’s strengths and weaknesses. When parents express their strong opinions about the different schools, those opinions are real and valid. They come from real experiences. Don’t tell people to “get over it.” A little compassion and understanding will go a lot farther during this turmoil than blame and intolerance.