“100 is great, but let’s see how high up we can get,” Dr. Jeffrey Zwiebel, PASD superintendent, said when the Pottsville Area High School teachers were ranked 100^th on www.niche.com’s “Best High School Teachers in Pennsylvania” list.

This ranking is an achievement for both the teachers and the school district. No school in the district has ever been ranked on a list like Niche’s before.

“I was very proud and very happy for the staff at the high school. They are a hard-working staff and have done a tremendous job in the last four years with strengthening our curriculum and providing a world-class education for our students,” Dr. Zwiebel said.

Niche.com has been providing information on schools for more than 12 years. The website compiles information for making school and life decisions easier. Carnegie Mellon University students founded Niche.

“I think what’s neat about this is the parent and student perception of our school. Just knowing when our kids went to college and were asked about this and looked favorably on their education is wonderful,” Ms. Tiffany Reedy, high school principal, said.

From a ranking of almost every public school in the United States, Niche compiled the top 100 list of schools with the best teachers from Pennsylvania. The ranking data came from over 240,000 student and parent ratings on teachers. It was primarily based on how each school performed in comparison to others eligible for ranking.

Overall, the Pottsville high school’s academic grade was a B+ with a total review of 3.7 out of 5. This data comes from a parent and student survey. A high ranking indicates students are pleased with their education, learning environment and teacher involvement.

There are major factors considered in choosing the top schools. They include elements in the entire school, not just the educational factors. The factors range from parent-student surveys to factual information such as teacher absenteeism. Niche also ranks categories such as extracurricular activities, food and sports.

“I am not surprised about this honor. We have very qualified teachers who do a good job of making themselves approachable to students who need help. I wish people would take advantage of the great education system we have,” senior Joshua Howell said.