For many years, Northern Virginia’s Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology has often been ranked the No. 1 U.S. public high school. Its competitive admissions process has long attracted the cream of local STEM-oriented students.

But no longer. In the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, the school has slipped to 14th in the nation.

A big factor is that in 2020, the Fairfax County, Virginia, school board eliminated traditional standardized tests and admission selections based on the best students available and moved to an “equity” formula designed to boost admissions from students identifying as racial minorities.

This is what happens when you put race and ethnicity over merit and hard work. It’s called the dumbing down of America.