Moving from one community where the social issues around drawing school district boundaries were crystal clear, to a new community where the reasons behind district drawings and grad rates are not always clear is proving to be difficult.

The metric sites that consolidate information about public school systems with grad rates and numbered rankings just adds another layer of mystery to the process because all of it serves to cover up the real historical context that came up with those lines: class, race, money.

Some of these schools have nearly identical demographic and graduation rates, but dismal "college readiness" rates. How does this site define "college readiness?"

What parents need to know: Does the school have counselors? How much outdoor time do the kids get? Are there music and art and technical classes and can my kid access them? Do they prioritize weird shit like spaghetti straps and conspicuous religious representation?

If I need additional assistance from the school, will they push me out? Can you carry out all your IEP commitments? What's the history here for queer kids and staff? Is my kid safe? Is my non-normative kid safe? How bad are the food options, but for real though?

Is my kid a racial minority and how will that affect him here? Does the principal have a habit of making offhand racist remarks and get huffy when you curb him? If my kid makes a mistake are you calling the rent-a-cop on him? Like, whatever with "college readiness." Come on.

"College readiness" feels like a euphemism for a measurement of how little trauma a kid will experience on the way through high school.