For years the state of Arkansas has told parents and teachers which school districts were having trouble. Financial trouble, academic trouble, you-name-it trouble. The folks at the state's Department of Education called those troubled districts distressed. It's probably more accurate to say that many parents were distressed over the news about their kids' school districts.
What do you mean my kid is in a academically troubled school district? He's doing great. And reading three levels above his grade. His teacher is tops. You should see his homework. It makes my head spin.
Well, maybe that's because there can be some mighty fine teachers, principals, and even whole schools in school districts that aren't in fine shape overall. Last week, the state took a step, a leap really, in an effort to clear up some of the confusion.
For the first time, the state identified schools--individual schools--that it considers to be the poorest performers. It's about time. Past time. Happily, the state of Arkansas is getting seriouser and seriouser about public education. And about holding those responsible for its problems accountable at last.
The 32 schools listed as being in, ahem, Academic Distress can be found all over the state. At least one charter school is mentioned. And the commissioner of the Department of Education in this state--his name is Tom Kimbrell--doesn't sound like he has much of a sense of humor about these rankings. Which is a good thing in a commissioner of education. Especially when he's talking about schools that are failing our kids. Because that's no joking matter.
The 32 schools on the list aren't guaranteed more money or other help, Commissioner Kimbrell told the press. The list only "guarantees extra oversight by the state, increased oversight." His message was clear: Get with it, schools.
And what happens if they don't? Believe it or not, these schools--public schools!--could be shut down. The school's staff could be reassigned. The principal could be let go. And even the district superintendent. Wow. Just like charter schools that aren't getting the job done.
Now those are consequences. And they just might get the attention of those whose attention very much needs to be got.
This is scarcely an unwarranted step. Indeed, there probably should be even more schools on this list of troubled schools. The only thing a school has to do to stay off the list is to get more than 49.5 percent of its kids up to what educators call the Proficient level. That's not an unreasonable request. Indeed, it's a minimal one. Just try passing a math test by scoring a 49.5. It's not exactly a high bar. If your neighborhood school is on the list, it needs to be. See our graphic in last Saturday's paper for the entire list of these schools, complete and unabridged and sad.
Now what? How does the state keep on keeping on in this direction? How does the state hold more schools accountable? How improve education over and over again, never going back, never marking time, but always improving?
Here's how: Let's track the progress of individual classrooms in the individual schools, too, and publicize the results. Maybe on a multiple-year average. If the kids aren't learning anything from August to May in Mrs. Smith's class--and don't from year to year--then the state needs to know that. So do parents.
Who knows, maybe Mrs. Smith will clean up her act--or get the message that she can't teach, and seek employment elsewhere. Which would be a signal service to future generations of kids. We've shortchanged quite enough of them over the years by not paying close attention to their progress. Or lack of same.
If the state's commissioner of education doesn't take poor-performing schools lightly, neither should the rest of us. Let's take the next step--or big leap.
Editorial on 05/19/2014