School Improvement

Last Thursday, I went to a meeting for “concerned members” of my school district. Of the 50 or so concerned members present, about 25 were state or district staff and faculty, 15 or so were parents, and the rest were their children, babysitter-less and bored silly. The State Superintendent of Education, Hank Bounds, spoke, expressing his belief that our school district will be the first to have (ever? anywhere?) improved under state control. He told us he was of the opinion that we would pull out of Priority status and be left, again, to our own devices. Each of the three principals spoke, highlighting their school’s progress in the face of numerous obstacles.

Not to be pessimistic, but I think that the whole meeting was the wrong way to go. Undersell, I would urge the principals. Your results may very well be erroneous, because the tests that you gave were the tests you have been teaching for the past nine weeks. But they didn’t. They declared that we are doing well. I hope we are.

I also have a sinking feeling in my gut that the state will leave no matter what. Here’s why. I think there are four possibilities:
1. We do really improve, the state leaves, and we continue to improve in the future.
2. We improve our test scores, adopt the “test-prep” method of teaching, remain a passable district in Mississippi’s eyes, and really only teach our children through multiple choices, and they grow up never having to support their beliefs or think of original ideas.
3. We don’t really improve. The state doesn’t leave. We continue swimming through muddy water towards the supposed light and continue to not improve.
4. We don’t really improve. The state leaves anyway. We continue to not improve, they consolidate school districts and we cease to exist. They never have to admit publicly that they failed to help us in any way.

The only good option is option one. From the state’s eyes, though, the only bad option is option three, where they show that they are worthless. Option 4, they maintain that we are no good, or they sweep us under the carpet. Numbers one and two are the same to the state, which is supported by the fact that they are eliminating open-response items from their tests.

I do think the takeover has helped because it has been a kick in the behind to the district. I hope they leave because we actually improve, and the kick leaves a bruise that makes us keep running.

These are just kids. My kids are as smart as your yuppy suburban kids, and I’ll prove it to you all yet.