Every time I turn a corner in San José, I see it again. Another sleek storefront, another green sign, another menu promising matcha lattes, fruit teas and signature drinks that look suspiciously familiar....

On Aug. 19, Lynbrook took 10th place out of 1,646 high schools in California and 86th out of 17,901 high schools nationally in the U.S. News & World Report. The ranking was a result of students’...