superior schools

3 dynamic Dallas high schools rank among top 25 in America, says U.S. News

Dallas is home to a few of the highest-ranked high schools in the nation.

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Three Dallas high schools are continuing their A+ streak of appearances on a prestigious annual list of the country's best public high schools. One has inched closer to the very top.

The 2023 rankings from U.S. News & World Report, released August 29, put Dallas ISD’s School for the Talented and Gifted at No. 6 nationally (up from No. 8 last year) among the country’s best high schools. The school also ranks No. 8 nationally among the best STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) high schools for the second consecutive year and No. 2 among the best magnet high schools (up from No. 4 last year).

Not far behind are two other Dallas ISD high schools.

Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership Schoolranks No. 18 nationally among the best high schools (up from No. 20 last year) and No. 8 nationally among the best magnet high schools for the second consecutive year.

Science and Engineering Magnet Schoolcomes in No. 23 nationally among the best high schools (down from No. 22 last year), No. 24 nationally among the best STEM high schools (down from No. 7 last year), and No. 2 nationally among the best magnet high schools (up from No. 10 in 2022).

Topping the national list for 2023 is the Early College at Guilford in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Each year, U.S. News evaluates about 18,000 high schools on six factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth, and graduation rates.

"Having access to a strong high school program is paramount for students as they face an ever-changing world," says U.S. News' managing editor of education Liana Loewus in a release. "Making data on our high schools available helps parents ensure their child is in the educational environment that best sets them up to thrive."

Elsewhere in Texas
Around the state, these Texas high schools also made it into the top 100 nationally (including two more Dallas schools):

Austin ISD’s Liberal Arts and Science Academy, No. 32 (up from No. 34 last year and No. 41 in 2021). No. 34 nationally among the best STEM high schools (up from No. 70 in 2022).
Houston ISD’s Carnegie Vanguard High School, No. 35 (up from No. 40 last year and No. 42 in 2021).
Houston ISD’s DeBakey High School for Health Professions, No. 66 (down from No. 50 last year and No. 46 in 2021). No. 18 nationally among the best magnet high schools.
BASIS San Antonio - Shavano Campus, No. 81 (down from No. 77 last year and No. 102 in 2021). No. 41 nationally among the best STEM high schools (down from No. 25 in 2022) and No. 17 nationally among the best charter high schools.
Dallas ISD's Trinidad Garza Early College at Mt. View, No. 91 (up from No. 118 last year).
Dallas ISD’s Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet, No. 93 (down from No. 48 last year and No. 59 in 2021) . No. 25 nationally among the best magnet high schools (down from No. 17 in 2022).
Houston ISD's Young Women's College Prep Academy, No. 94 (up from No. 148 last year). No. 26 nationally among best magnet high schools.

When broken down just to Texas schools, Dallas' School for the Talented and Gifted, Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School, and Science and Engineering Magnet School are the top-rated public high schools in Texas this year, U.S. News says.

Other Dallas-Fort Worth schools that rank among Texas' 100 best are:

No. 8 – Trinidad Garza Early College at Mt. View, Dallas ISD
No. 9 – Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet, Dallas ISD
No. 17 – Uplift Education-North Hills Prep High School, Uplift Education School District, Irving
No. 18 – School of Health Professions, Dallas ISD
No. 23 – Young Women's Leadership Academy, Fort Worth ISD
No. 27 – Westlake Academy, Westlake
No. 28 – Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute, Grand Prairie ISD
No. 30 – Highland Park High School, Highland Park ISD
No. 34 – Imagine International Academy of North Texas, McKinney
No. 35 – Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy, Grand Prairie ISD
No. 36 – Dr. Wright L. Lassiter Jr. Early College High School, Dallas ISD
No. 43 – Booker T. Washington SPVA, Dallas ISD
No. 45 – Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, Dallas ISD
No. 47 – Lovejoy High School, Lovejoy ISD, Lucas
No. 50 – Reedy High School, Frisco ISD
No. 51 – World Languages Institute, Fort Worth
No. 55 – Wakeland High School, Frisco ISD
No. 60 – Liberty High School, Frisco ISD
No. 62 – Rosie Sorrells Education and Social Services High School, Dallas ISD
No. 63 – Young Women's Leadership Academy at Arnold, Grand Prairie ISD
No. 67 – School of Business and Management, Dallas ISD
No. 71 – Cedar Hill Collegiate High School, Cedar Hill ISD
No. 74 – Uplift Summit International High School, Uplift Education School District, Arlington
No. 76 – Centennial High School, Frisco ISD
No. 78 – Coppell High School, Coppell ISD
No. 80 – Mansfield Frontier High School, Mansfield ISD
No. 87 – Texas Academy of Biomedical Sciences, Fort Worth ISD
No. 92 – Independence High School, Frisco ISD
No. 94 – Founders Classical Academy, Texas College Preparatory Academies, Lewisville

US News & World Report high schools reports best schools education schools

Animal News

Advocates find false info being fed to Texas legislators on pet store law

Puppy mill dogs do not have a great life.

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A national pet store chain has been implicated in a dishonest campaign to try and influence Texas lawmakers on an upcoming bill making its way through the legislature.

The pet store chain is Petland, and they're engaged in a battle against The Ethical Pet Sale Bill (SB 1652 / HB 3458), which would encourage pet stores to stop selling at-risk animals from puppy mills and support shelters and rescue groups instead.

The Ethical Pet Sale bill has support from rescue and animal groups across Texas, who are all grappling with a glut of animals on the streets and in overcrowded shelters. That pet overpopulation problem gets even worse when pet stores import more animals from puppy mills in states like Missouri and Ohio.

If Texas passes the bill, it will join a growing number of states and cities who've already passed similar laws including Dallas, Austin, Bryan, College Station, El Paso, Euless, Fort Worth, Houston, New Braunfels, Pasadena, San Antonio, The Colony, Sherman, and Waco.

Most reputable pet store chains such as PetSmart and PetCo do not sell cats and dogs. Petland does. The company operates 84 stores in the U.S., and fights bills like this by hiring lobbyists to discourage legislators from supporting these bills.

Phony list
In this case, a two-page summary was distributed to some Texas state senators listing reasons why they should oppose SB ("The evidence from other states, especially California, demonstrates that these types of bans do more harm than good"), plus a list of organizations that are opposed.

Most of the organizations opposed to the bill profit directly from animals, such as Petland and Puppy Dreams, a North Texas chain that also sells animals.

But the list also had surprising names including PetSmart, PetCo, and Pet Supplies Plus — the three largest pet store chains who all have a history of supporting adoption of shelter animals.

Their presence on the list caught the eye of animal advocacy groups such as Texas Humane Legislation Network and Humane World For Animals, who've worked with the big three in the past.

"We became aware of Petland Inc.’s lobbyist apparently sharing the attached document with legislators, claiming the listed pet and pet product industry leaders are opposing this legislation," said a spokesperson from Humane World of Animals (HWA). "We checked in with contacts at Petco, Petsmart, and the American Pet Products Association, and all of them deny opposing this legislation or giving Petland permission to list them on this opposition letter. It’s very possible others listed in this letter also did not give their permission to be included — we only connected with the those listed above at this stage."

CultureMap also contacted the three major pet store chains and received similar responses that they had not been consulted nor did they issue a rejection of the bill, although none wanted to be quoted.

The misrepresentation is concerning because it muddies the water with false information at a time when the bill is still under consideration:

HB 3458 — the version going through the Texas House — passed a House Committee with a 10-1 vote and has been moved up the chain towards passage.

SB 1652 — the version going through the Senate — still needs to get through the Senate Committee, Calendars, and a floor vote.

"By creating a false narrative about the position of the above industry leaders, this letter has the potential to sway lawmakers at a critical juncture in the legislation’s journey," the HWA spokesperson says.

Two Petland stores in the Dallas area — in Frisco and Tyler — have been the subject of undercover investigations. Petland Webster recently settled a lawsuit with several families that the store allegedly sold sick puppies to, and several lawsuits have been filed against Petland Woodlands in Texas, claiming the store sold sick puppies. One pet owner told the House Committee that he'd spent $20,000 on medical care of a puppy he bought at a pet store.

"Banning the retail sale of puppies and kittens is a common-sense solution to protect both animals and Texas consumers," said Dean Senator Judith Zaffirini of Laredo, who filed the bill. "My SB 1652 would help reduce pet overpopulation, promote responsible breeding practices and prevent families from unknowingly purchasing sick animals. With varying local ordinances in place and further action at the city level now restricted, it is important for the state to provide a clear and consistent approach that prioritizes both animal welfare and consumer protection."

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