We've got a lot of Blue Ribbon schools

Regarding Sondra Stanley's Fencepost letter of Sept. 22 as to why there was not enough coverage regarding St. Viator's Blue Ribbon Award: Is she aware that many other area public high schools have already earned this award?

According to the ISBE Web site the following schools already have been presented with the Blue Ribbon Award: Fremd, 86-87; Hersey, 88-89; Prospect, Palatine and Schaumburg 92-93; Rolling Meadows and Elk Grove 94-96; and Buffalo Grove, 99-00, just to name a few - not to mention numerous public Junior Highs and grammar schools.

I would also like to add that we never see St. Viator or other private schools test scores published along with the public schools. I question her statement that public schools are failing to hold up standards; as you can see by all of the awards that were obtained above - especially since we never see exactly what private school standards look like.

So before Ms. Stanley goes off on her high horse, maybe she should have done her homework. It appears to me that our local public schools, which take in ALL students regardless of background or test scores (unlike St. Viator which accepts only a privileged few) are doing an admirable job. I do not like to see our fine public schools denigrated in print - Ms. Stanley could have just praised Viator without resorting unfounded name-calling of our great public schools.

Susan Esbrook

Arlington Heights