Entire Staff of Failing Cincinnati School to Be Fired
As a result of the federally mandated "No Child Left Behind" program, the entire staff of William H. Taft Elementary in Cincinnati will be replaced. This marks the most dramatic move the Cincinnati Public School System has taken since the program was enacted in 2001.
Janet Walsh, a spokeswoman for the Cincinnati Public Schools, told local news crews that the staff found out the news on Tuesday afternoon. Staff will finish out the school year, and will be replaced for the start of the 2008-2009 school year. The school's principal is amongst those being replaced.
According to state results, Taft Elementary has consistently failed to meet goals mandated by the "No Child Left Behind" program, and scored about 20 points below the district average on standardized tests.
As detailed in the restructuring plan outlined Wednesday, the Mount Auburn school's traditional academic focus will be replaced by a "Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics" program, beginning in August.
Taft Elementary is currently rated "academic emergency" - the lowest of five possible ratings. Superintendent Rosa Blackwell promised that the reconfiguration will boost their rating up to "effective", the second highest rating.
To help fund the transitions, Cincinnati Public Schools, the university and other partners hope to snag a portion of state money available to help build new high-tech specialty programs throughout Ohio.
Additions to the school other than new faculty will include state of the art technology and science labs, as well as access to business partners' sites.
Comments
cincinnati failing school
As an experienced educator at all levels (elementary, middle, high, and university), I strongly perceive that we are missing the target. Why not go to the root of the problem - parent? The academic foundation of a child starts in the home. We build onto that foundation in public/private education. We should produce programs for parents to help their kids prior to them entering a school. Children are entering school with no academic foundation. I've always preached that a child should enter school for the first time on or above the appropriate grade level. It's hard to build a building with no foundation.We are punishing teachers for things parents have failed to do at home. Yes, there are teachers who are not performing at the expected level. Train them to meet the expectation and if it doesn't work, get rid of them for the benefit of the child.
Yes, the teacher is the key in a child's academic development but in an environment where one size is expected to fit all (public school), some children get LEFT BEHIND. Facts are facts. Most of your "catch the child up programs" are designed to do in the school building what parents have failed to do at home. School districts are smart enough to train their own teachers, but most of the money spent on programs to produce better testing should be used to educate parents in building an academic foundation for their children.
Dr. Summ
Adm. Tennessee
No Child Left Behind
I agree with everything Dr. Summ writes and have also been part of the "parents aren't doing their share" bandwagon. But recently I decided, while that may be the case, there has to be SOMETHING public schools can do to make up for the parents'lack. And there is. We need to start worrying about the children more than the test scores. Testing is important but only as it comes to showing us what students know and what they are lacking.
Schools and parents are equally guilty of social promotion, just moving students on without the necessary skills to succeed. Then we wonder, why they get caught up in this cycle of failure?
Our education system needs to be blown up and put in its place a system based on performance ability grouping. No one would be forced forward until they knew what they needed to learn at their own pace. This isn't the same as retention. One elementary school did this and in four years Hispanic and Black children's test scores went from 44% to 88% in four years. For more information on the subject, you can go to the Washington Post.
no subject
Does this surprise anyone at all?
whiterevolution com
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