Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.
A new school year has already begun in many places across the country, and that means thousands of students are getting to know their new teachers.
Oftentimes, the quality of a school comes down to the quality of its teachers. That's why school-ranking website Niche released its 2020 list of public high schools in America with the best teachers. Being a teacher isn't easy: Many teachers have a range of issues to grapple with, from dealing with helicopter parents to using their own salary to pay for classroom supplies.
The methodology for Niche's teacher rankings is based on factors like teacher ratings by parents and students, teacher salaries, days absent, teacher tenure, student-teacher ratio, and Niche's academics rating for the school. All of that data was drawn from Niche user ratings, the US Department of Education, and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
The top spot went to the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, which is in Columbus, Mississippi. Charter schools also made up a significant portion of the list, with three of the top 10 being part of the BASIS school system, a worldwide network of charter schools with 27 tuition-free locations in the US.
Advertisement
Here are the 15 US public high schools with the best teachers.
15. Staten Island Technical High School — Staten Island, New York
Students: 1,313
Student-teacher ratio: 23:1
Niche polls: 88% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 94% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "Every teacher I have had the opportunity to learn from during my years at this school has been great. They try their hardest to make the lessons interesting and easy to understand and are always willing to help out students that are struggling. They are all kind and truly love their jobs."
14. OCVTS - Marine Academy of Technology & Environmental Science (MATES) — Manahawkin, New Jersey
Students: 280
Student-teacher ratio: 13:1
Niche polls: 92% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 92% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "All of the teachers here are amazing. They all really know what they're talking about, and most of them try to make their classes exciting and fun. Plenty of the teachers here are willing to just have normal conversations with you, and they're always willing to help you if you need help."
13. Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science — Worcester, Massachusetts
Students: 97
Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
Niche polls: 70% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 90% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "The wide variety and excellent enthusiasm and drive of the teachers makes learning a pleasure, even when you're loaded with work."
12. South Carolina Governor's School for Science & Mathematics — Hartsville, South Carolina
Students: 280
Student-teacher ratio: 13:1
Niche polls: 79% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 79% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "All the teachers here are so excited to teach and spread their knowledge to the students. They're almost always available in their office after class for help or just to talk to. The majority of the teachers here are incredibly friendly and really want to get to know all of their students personally. And they're so knowledgeable and excited about their subjects that they are willing to create new 'above AP' classes that go above and beyond what a normal teacher in a normal school will teach."
11. Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities — Muncie, Indiana
Students: 330
Student-teacher ratio: 10:1
Niche polls: 91% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 89% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "Although there are a variety of teaching styles at this school, all of the teachers are experts in their field of study and are truly passionate educators. They are always engaged in their lessons and time in front of the students."
10. Bergen County Academies — Hackensack, New Jersey
Students: 1,069
Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
Niche polls: 67% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 78% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "The teachers are amazing, minus a few here and there. The ones that have touched me, however, have completely changed my life. I can truly say that I would not be as close to my teachers now if I had gone to a different high school."
Niche polls: 100% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 100% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "The teachers are all very approachable and are eager to provide students with both academic rigor and support."
8. Union County Magnet High School — Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Students: 298
Student-teacher ratio: 13:1
Niche polls: 82% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 82% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "You will meet some of the best teachers of your life here. Others will lead classes in which the students are basically teaching themselves. However, the type of education you receive from all styles of teachers actually proves to be very beneficial. Some teachers will actually teach you way more valuable life skills than they will their own respective academic subject areas."
7. Maine School of Science & Mathematics — Limestone, Maine
Students: 145
Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
Niche polls: 100% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 100% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "The teachers at this school are beyond awesome. They are constantly changing their classes up and offering new classes. And they really care, not just about a student's academics, but about their life. They care how your day is going and care how stressed out you are. And they are some of the best in their career."
6. Louisiana School for Math, Science & the Arts — Natchitoches, Louisiana
Students: 330
Student-teacher ratio: 9:1
Niche polls: 87% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 90% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "The teachers here are unlike anything I've ever experienced. They listen to us, whether that's about how stressed for another class [we are] or if we don't feel prepared for a test. There is so much caring — people only teach at this school because they want to."
Niche polls: 69% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 88% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "The teachers at Basis Scottsdale are the best. They go above and beyond any other teacher at other schools, and they always care for [their] student's well-being, whether it be inside the classroom or outside."
Niche polls: 80% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 87% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "The teachers are extremely helpful, actively assisting in the progression of the student's education, and are completely understanding of the situation of the students and try to accommodate for every student's needs."
Niche polls: 100% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 89% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students
According to a student: "Most of the time, the teachers at this school have been incredibly helpful and devoted to their lessons, using whatever form necessary to make sure the information is conveyed to everyone in the class. The classes are usually controlled by both the students and the teacher, resulting in an engaging discussion in almost every class. "
2. Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy — Aurora, Illinois
Students: 647
Student-teacher ratio: 12:1
Niche polls: 87% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 82% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "Many of the teachers here are really knowledgeable, in that they definitely know what they're talking about and students can literally ask some teachers any question on their subject matter and they'll know the answer. Even though the workload can sometimes be hard to manage, some of the teachers are really forgiving and genuinely care about helping students."
1. The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science — Columbus, Mississippi
Students: 245
Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
Niche polls: 96% of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons, and 100% of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.
According to a student: "The teachers that I had at MSMS were definitely the best teachers that I had ever had. They were so amazing. They taught in ways that would help students to understand the material. We LEARNED things, not just memorized a study guide in order to pass a test... I will forever remember the teachers that I was fortunate enough to have at MSMS."
