I agree to a point. I grew up in Brockton and went to public school through 8th grade. I went to private HS at Coyle and Cassidy in TAN. By no means is Brockton a good school system. However, it's what you make out of it, and the teachers that are there. My junior high was like the movie "Lean on Me," but the teachers busted our chops. I honestly felt junior high was one of the most grueling academically. I had lots of homework and the teachers genuinely cared in my level.
Where I am now also isn't the greatest school system, but in a community like this, some schools do perform better than others. We were fortunate to have my son go to a school that does rate very well. We purposely moved to this location hoping he would be be able to attend. It's not just teachers, but how much parents care too. This area has a lot of younger families starting out who really help drive passion and energy for the school. If you are looking at certain communities, check out how the individual schools rank as well.