Yesterday my family and I went to the state Geography Bee, one of the qualifying rounds for the National Geographic Bee to be held later this spring. To get to Raleigh, students first had to win in their school-level competitions, then sit for a written test. This evens out potential big school / little school disparities as well as the purely Providential nature of who gets which question in the oral rounds. The top hundred or so get to compete in Raleigh.
What I find interesting every year is the mix of schools represented. Looking down the list yesterday, I counted at least thirty-two students from nonpublic schools (including the six or so homeschoolers). Even though ninety percent of the state’s students attend a public school of some sort, the “over-representation” of this group is pretty constant from year to year. A good number of the public school students, too, seemed to be from charters and magnet programs.
I have my own theory whether this is due to academic rigor, a culture of inquiry, or institutional issues, but it seems to be consistent from year to year, in this program and in others we see.
