What happens at those schools "left behind"?
Tucson, AZ reporter Mary Bustamante interviewed administrators at 26 local schools who have just been labeled as "underperforming". What's the reaction from those schools?
Inside her office, Principal Mary Thalgott [of underperforming school Davidson Elementary] said she already had sent a letter to parents with the news. It wasn't really a surprise, she said, because the district knew what the criteria were and had kind of figured it out ahead of time...The mood at the school was a mix. "We're going through something similar to a grieving process," Thalgott said. "The staff is concerned and there is a lot of anxiety, a lot of uncertainty. It would be almost flippant if we were not." The students seemed content. "
I particular like the outburst from a teacher at the school:
Third-grade teacher Kim Wright may have been the person most upset at the school yesterday. "I'm sick and tired of being the scapegoat for "underperforming parents," she said. "Is there something more I can do as a teacher? Absolutely. But there is a percentage of parents overall in underperforming schools who aren't spending time helping their children at home."
You tell 'em, girl. I get emails from many parents who are frustrated because their kids go to schools with lousy curriculums, and when the parents try to become involved, the school's reaction is "Back off and let us do our job". It's nice to hear a teacher point out that the parents have a job to do as well - perhaps Davidson Elementary will listen to her and will implement a program that encourages parents to become more involved with their children's education.