There might be some failing schools out there but I suspect most schools that are labeled as failing are in fact competent institutions in failing communities. In the testing era, scores on multiple choice tests have been used as a measurement of school quality but that is a gross error. The one statistically relevant aspect of student life revealed by this type testing is the social economic status of their family. 100% of schools in upper middle class neighborhoods are successful under these measures and 100% of schools in poverty zones are failures by the same measures. Clearly, this would not happen if these tests were measuring quality of schools or teaching. These tests have errantly labeled great schools in poor neighborhoods as failures and under the new strong mayor systems many excellent institutions have been closed in the name of school reform. A much better measure of schools is that done by teams of educators from accreting institutions like the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The biggest success of modern reform is the transfer of large amounts of money from the classroom to corporate coffers. That is the cause of most damage to public schools.
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