10 schools branded as 'lowest-achieving' in Maine
A Portland school is among those now eligible for federal funds – if dramatic reform plans are made.
By Kelley Bouchard kbouchard@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer
AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Education named the state's 10 "persistently lowest-achieving schools" on Tuesday, including an elementary school in Portland.
Riverton Community School and the nine others are now eligible to share $12 million in federal grants if they pursue aggressive improvement plans, said Education Commissioner Susan Gendron.
The 10 schools have demonstrated low reading and math proficiency over three years and little progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The schools are divided into two categories, based on eligibility for Title I funding, which targets students from low-income families.
Riverton is among five Title I schools in Maine that have failed to show progress according to federal criteria for two or more years. The others are Deer Isle-Stonington High School, Longley Elementary School in Lewiston, Houlton High School and Sumner Memorial High School in Sullivan.
The other category is for Maine high schools that are eligible for Title I funding but whose districts use the money in other schools. The five lowest-achieving schools in that category are Carrabec High School in North Anson, Hodgdon High, Lake Region High in Naples, Livermore Falls High and Madison Area High School.
Portland Superintendent Jim Morse said he notified Riverton Principal Nancy Kopack about the state's announcement on Tuesday afternoon, and she, in turn, informed her staff.
"I'm taking it very seriously," Morse said. "There's a lot of money attached to this and Riverton could use it for extensive staff development and redesign."
Morse acknowledged that being one of the lowest-achieving schools in Maine isn't a good label to have, but he said it presents a great opportunity for Riverton.
"I'm choosing to view it as the cup being half-full," Morse said. "Riverton staff is perfectly capable of rising to this challenge."
Schools are eligible to apply for improvement grants for up to three years, provided they agree to aggressive reform plans, Gendron said.
Under federal guidelines, schools must choose one of these reform models:
• Redesign or replace the staff.
• Convert to a charter school. (Maine law doesn't allow charter schools.)
• Transform through comprehensive reforms.
• Close and transfer students to higher-performing schools in the district.
Identifying low-achieving schools is a focus of Maine's application for competitive Race to the Top federal funding.
If Maine receives funding, additional schools will have a chance to participate in similar reform efforts, Gendron said.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at: kbouchard@pressherald.com
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67 COMMENTS
Felix said...
"A Portland school is among those now eligible for federal funds – if dramatic reform plans are made."-PPH HMMMM, HOW ABOUT CANNING THE WHOLE TEACHING AND MANAGEMENT TEAM THERE? GOOD PLAN, OBAMANATION, THEY SCREW UP AND YOU THROW THEM THE MILLIONS!
March 10, 2010 at 3:14 AM Report abuse
DasBoot said...
10, That's all?
March 10, 2010 at 5:34 AM Report abuse
UofA said...
There will not be any redesigning or replacing of any staff members as long as a Union is involved. I wonder if anyone has taken into consideration the fact that refugees that had no schooling or very little and did not speak English may be a cause of this learning problem? I cannot imagine myself learning anything in a foreign country not understanding the country's language!
March 10, 2010 at 5:43 AM Report abuse
mohonk said...
Sure, take the crappy schools and just throw a bunch of money at it. I think that we have too many low-performing lawmakers.
March 10, 2010 at 5:47 AM Report abuse
MyDime said...
Wake up lawmakers, CHARTER schools are sorely needed!
March 10, 2010 at 6:32 AM Report abuse
wollydevil said...
Will charter get to pick an chose who they want to take?? If they do than you have not solved the problem at all.
March 10, 2010 at 6:43 AM Report abuse
sayyes269 said...
The smartest thing from this article.. the glass is half full.
March 10, 2010 at 6:50 AM Report abuse
Gary said...
The Longley School in Lewiston is primarily made up of immigrant students with little or no english skills. Of course it is under-performing! It's not the fault of the faculty, it's just how it is.
March 10, 2010 at 6:53 AM Report abuse
MainenCrisis said...
Seriously? HAs the country gone insane? We spend aprox 4k more per student in maine than the national average and the federal and states plan is to throw 12 million at the worst scoring schools? With the money we spend our kids should ALL be in teh top 20% Throwing money at this is not the solution. Typical democrat ideology if we spend more money we get better results. WRONG!
March 10, 2010 at 6:58 AM Report abuse
poboy said...
"I'm taking it very seriously," Morse said. "There's a lot of money attached to this and Riverton could use it for extensive staff development and redesign." A typical LIBERAL answer to the problem (throw money at the problem. It's bound to improve). Take a look at the student make-up of Riverton. Most of the students come from low income (welfare), immigrant families. Could this be the reason for the low scores???????
March 10, 2010 at 8:00 AM Report abuse
MainenCrisis said...
Poboy thats not the PC answer but it is the reality of it. Not because they aren't smart but because of many factors such as lack of parenting and parental invovlment, language barrier and cultural obsticals. The organizations that bring these people here such as the Catholic Charities really does them a disservice by jsut seting them up in housing and dissapearing. CC really needs to set up private schools for these people for the first 3 or four years to bring them up to speed on language culture living skills etc then gradually introduce them to the public schools and community. Its unfair to us and the immagrants for CC to do what they do.
March 10, 2010 at 8:15 AM Report abuse
Scommentname said...
Riward and purpetuate the underecheeving? The skools shood be ashaimed uv themselfs frum the wey they fayled and the muney they waisted. Who else can fayl and ekspect muney to be throne at them? Oh, Mainahs. Weave goten pretti smaaht ova the yeahs havent we!
March 10, 2010 at 8:30 AM Report abuse
irishmom said...
INteresting that this should coincide with the March 15 issue of Newsweek. The story on the New Orleans schools is an inspiration.
March 10, 2010 at 8:31 AM Report abuse
trisailer said...
I have to agree with Maineincrisis that there has to be additional assistance for refugees to improve the chances of sucess. Ultimately it boils down to parental involvement and support. We can't just keep putting the people who fail in jail, we need a solution that can turn the tide.
March 10, 2010 at 8:32 AM Report abuse
trisailer said...
For clarification CC does not "bring them here" The US State Department does and CC is their contractor. CC makes big money doing this as does the city for administrative cost. You the taxpayer pays for it. When the Lewiston Mayor complained the Government just gave him more money to shut him up. The bottom line is that the people running the education program are not doing their jobs. Unfortunatly the right is more interested in busting the unions than correcting the problem
March 10, 2010 at 8:40 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
Charters run by private groups including religious organizations have proven to be better than the public schools at educating children. They are so popular in some cities that the public schools now have to spend more taxpayer money to 'market' and 'rebrand' themselves...see Pressed by Charters, Public Schools Try Marketing, NYTIMES Putting public schools in competition with charters is inherently a good thing, but there may be hidden costs involved.
March 10, 2010 at 8:45 AM Report abuse
MainenCrisis said...
trisailor, the key to that assitance is putting the responsibility on the organizations that bring them here and not on the tax payers.
March 10, 2010 at 8:47 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
The unions are the problem and should be banned from every government enterprise. Union negotiated contracts have made Maine's public schools among the most expensive in the U.S.; and with slowly sinking performance in national tests of record like the SAT's. Un-unionized private schools always outperform the public ones.
March 10, 2010 at 8:48 AM Report abuse
wollydevil said...
Do private an charter schools get to pick who they want in there schools ??
March 10, 2010 at 9:02 AM Report abuse
trisailer said...
" the key to that assitance is putting the responsibility on the organizations that bring them here and not on the tax payers" I agree. I also agree with partitioning the State Department to stop bring refugees here. You and I both know that the taxpayer will pay one way or another for our meddling in others affairs
March 10, 2010 at 9:07 AM Report abuse
vivera said...
Why should a school that does badly get the money,there we go rewarding the bad and yes of course this is the American way.We have to be politically correct don't we? This is certainly a incentive to teach well.
March 10, 2010 at 9:09 AM Report abuse
trisailer said...
Common, you need to look around you. Every comfort and financial security you enjoy is likely due to unions. Unions created the middle class. Thousands died. Your part of the problem because you only see busting the unions as the answer instead of fixing what is wrong.
March 10, 2010 at 9:11 AM Report abuse
ProConserv said...
Ignorant kids are the next generation of welfare recipients. These are the people most likely to keep liberal democrat progressive anti-American socialists in congress with their votes! Keep the kids dumb and they will always vote for ya!!!MMM...MMM...MMM!
March 10, 2010 at 9:20 AM Report abuse
Oak said...
Charters run by private groups including religious organizations have proven to be better than the public schools at educating children. Why do you think public sector union people hate charter schools and vouchers? Because they currently have a monopoly on tax funded education, and competition would ruin that monopoly.
March 10, 2010 at 9:27 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
Unions have become the equivalent of 19th century capitalists, complete with executive jets, exclusive resorts, and corporate luxury cars. I met the former head of the NEA at a social event at their headquarters, and he proudly displayed his new Cadillac in a no-parking zone in front of the bldg. Same problem with teamsters, steel workers who destroyed Bethlehem Steel with their incessant demands; and have destroyed the original mission of the public school. END THE TEACHERS' UNION DOMINATION OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN MAINE!
March 10, 2010 at 9:28 AM Report abuse
Oak said...
There is a very simple solution to our failing public schools: attach the money to the kids, and allow the parents to decide where the kid goes to school. That would force schools to compete with each other or go under, kinda like how it works in the real world.
March 10, 2010 at 9:32 AM Report abuse
TGVib3dza2k%3D said...
What the article does not clarify is that the federal government is using the SAT test as their main measuring tool to measure the success of schools. How many of you would want your success based on a timed, standardized test that is now being discarded by many of our country's top universities. This issue is bigger than the bottom 10 schools. If they cut their curriculum and start teaching solely to the SAT they will get rewarded? That is what the federal government is telling us?
March 10, 2010 at 9:33 AM Report abuse
Iwatch said...
RE: Riverton School. When my youngest son was in second grade in about 1976, he was performing so poorly there that I was told he was learning impaired. Knowing better, we transferred him to a parochial school and within two months he was a solid B student. How about teacher/atmosphere impaiired? This school then had a totally dysfunctional atmosphere
March 10, 2010 at 9:35 AM Report abuse
trisailer said...
" Keep the kids dumb and they will always vote for ya" I can't think of a better example of this than than you PC
March 10, 2010 at 9:37 AM Report abuse
Hipupchuck said...
Good schools should give the teachers bonuses. Bad schools should give their teachers fines.
March 10, 2010 at 9:39 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
Restore the MERITOCRACY with achievement testing that is fair to all....or provide low income parents with children in failing schools with the same lobbying firepower used by influential professional parents to boost their kid's grades. ....I'm all for equal opportunity political corruption!
March 10, 2010 at 9:46 AM Report abuse
trisailer said...
Clearly some of you went to those impared, unionized schools because you seem incapable of objectively evaluating the problems and suggesting solutions. There are extremely effective charter schools but not all are. If the goal is to see how cheap your kids can be educated than we are definitley on the right track. The current system is a overpriced babysitting service because parents don't want to take responsability. This is another complecated issue that some would like to reduce to a slogan.
March 10, 2010 at 9:46 AM Report abuse
Kidatheart said...
" If they cut their curriculum and start teaching solely to the SAT they will get rewarded? That is what the federal government is telling us?" Perhaps you've heard of a little thing called: No Child Left Behind.?
March 10, 2010 at 9:49 AM Report abuse
Kidatheart said...
"That would force schools to compete with each other or go under, kinda like how it works in the real world." Oh yeah...that will really work! Dear, juniors school just closed up shop... Quick...Let's get him re-enrolled somewhere!
March 10, 2010 at 9:55 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
There is quiet revolution being initiated by 'stay-at-home dads' who are home schooling one or more kiddos(teacher talk). It isn't as hard as you think; and the results are mind boggling---kids who go to Ivy league universities on scholarship, etc.
March 10, 2010 at 10:00 AM Report abuse
Kidatheart said...
"There is quiet revolution being initiated by 'stay-at-home dads' who are home schooling one or more kiddos..." Any facts to back that up? Oh, sorry...It's on the qt.
March 10, 2010 at 10:04 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
In one of the legendary school voucher experiments recorded in the NYTIMES; a wealthy woman provided the parents of children in a failed school in Albany, NY with a free scholarship to the school of their choice. 2/3rds took up her offer, and emptied the public school. The district laid off people and the remaining teachers decided to improve, and they did; in fact a number of the parents who left returned. This could, and should have happened in Maine; but the Union lobbied LIBRA against a private voucher program.
March 10, 2010 at 10:05 AM Report abuse
MarkHB said...
Maybe the scores at Riverton are due to the ESL / immigrant kids, but I take exception to the comment "Most of the students come from low income (welfare), immigrant families." There's a lot more to Riverton than Riverton Park.
March 10, 2010 at 10:08 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
KID..thought you'd never ask...drum roll in 1982 there were 10 Home schoolers registered by Buzz Kastuck; in 2007-2008 this increased to 4,897, a 65% annual growth rate.. Next question
March 10, 2010 at 10:17 AM Report abuse
ModerateOne said...
Oak said... There is a very simple solution to our failing public schools: attach the money to the kids, and allow the parents to decide where the kid goes to school. That would force schools to compete with each other or go under, kinda like how it works in the real world. Should we do the same thing with national defense? How about the criminal justice system? Aren't these subject to the "real world" too?
March 10, 2010 at 10:23 AM Report abuse
Oak said...
Should we do the same thing with national defense? How about the criminal justice system? Aren't these subject to the "real world" too? The fact that you would ask such a thing tells me that it would be a complete and total waste of time to give you an answer longer than "no".
March 10, 2010 at 10:35 AM Report abuse
trisailer said...
Like every issue that's complecated there needs to be alternitives explored and experiments conducted and the process can be changed in incriments. I think that the whole process is counter to the normal learning process for children. I actually agree with Commonchants "There is quiet revolution being initiated by 'stay-at-home dads' who are home schooling one or more kiddos" I think it is wrong to apply the same standards to every child and we only do it for our own convience and not the child.
March 10, 2010 at 11:06 AM Report abuse
stillthinkin said...
Morse said. "Riverton staff is perfectly capable of rising to this challenge." Begs the question, why haven't they?
March 10, 2010 at 11:08 AM Report abuse
ModerateOne said...
Oak, my point was to lump your silly idea with a couple of mine.
March 10, 2010 at 11:12 AM Report abuse
bWFpbmVyZWY%3D said...
FYI, Maine is not a finalist in the Race to the Top program, so no money will be coming. You would think a reporter would know that.
March 10, 2010 at 11:20 AM Report abuse
wollydevil said...
Can Hollywood slots be the cause of this ??
March 10, 2010 at 11:25 AM Report abuse
Oak said...
ModerateOne - What is silly about competition in education? Let's say we change the funding model for schools to a per pupil basis, and allow parents to choose where to put their kids. It is likely that parents with kids in crappy schools would pull the kids out and put them in a better school. The crappy school would lose funding while the better school would gain funding. If the crappy school improved then parents would return the kids, and the funding would come with the kids. The only ones who would lose would be educators who could not compete, while the winners would be parents and students. I fail to see how that is silly.
March 10, 2010 at 11:31 AM Report abuse
Godless said...
Oak said: "Let's say we change the funding model for schools to a per pupil basis, and allow parents to choose where to put their kids. It is likely that parents with kids in crappy schools would pull the kids out and put them in a better school. The crappy school would lose funding while the better school would gain funding. If the crappy school improved then parents would return the kids, and the funding would come with the kids." So now parents are going to be moving their kids to new schools every year, depending on how their school compares to others? This doesn't seem like the best idea.
March 10, 2010 at 11:35 AM Report abuse
ModerateOne said...
Oak, you have a choice now. If I don't like my kid's school I can either move, or send her to private school. See, freedom of choice is already here.
March 10, 2010 at 12:05 PM Report abuse
Oak said...
ModerateOne - Why do you oppose being able to send your child to a different tax-funded school without having to relocate? Why do you oppose giving others that choice?
March 10, 2010 at 12:12 PM Report abuse
ModerateOne said...
Oak, will the choices include religious schools? I believe in separation. Will the schools take all kids that desire going there?
March 10, 2010 at 12:20 PM Report abuse
Oak said...
ModerateOne - Last I checked religious schools are not funded by tax dollars. You're asking stupid questions again. I like those occasions when you do not act like an idiot, but they are disappointingly fleeting.
March 10, 2010 at 12:29 PM Report abuse
ModerateOne said...
Oak, the devil is in the details. How would schools "compete". Would the compete for the best students? Would they compete for the best athlete? This does happen in cities where choice is offered. And, really, what are my choices? Other than in the weeds I don't see many schools with extra room. Do you think that Falmouth is going to expand their facilities to accommodate Riverton kids who want a choice? To say nothing about the possibility that costs could increase significantly. Once the easy to educate kids are plucked out the cost per pupil will rise, costing taxpayers more.
March 10, 2010 at 12:44 PM Report abuse
friend+of+ge said...
It's not the teachers or administrators fault with these or similar schools. It's the product of low performing parents. These kids have dumb or absent parents with little or no ambition that they pass on to their kids. Schools can't make up for these problems only birth control can.
March 10, 2010 at 12:51 PM Report abuse
stesc said...
I think it's high time to shift some responsbility for kids' achievement back to the parents. These days teachers have all of the responsibility for a kid's education and none of the authority to back it up. It used to be that if a kid acted up in class, or got a bad grade, parents supported the teacher. These days if little Johnny brings home a D it's because "the teacher doesn't like him" or "she isn't doing her job." What happened to the parental role in a child's education?
March 10, 2010 at 12:55 PM Report abuse
JazzBox said...
friend+of+ge said... It's not the teachers or administrators fault with these or similar schools. It's the product of low performing parents. These kids have dumb or absent parents with little or no ambition that they pass on to their kids. Schools can't make up for these problems only birth control can. ---------------------------- Winnah Winnah, Chicken Dinnah.
March 10, 2010 at 12:56 PM Report abuse
Oak said...
ModerateOne - So you see competition as a bad thing. Oh well.
March 10, 2010 at 1:14 PM Report abuse
ModerateOne said...
Oak, I did not say that. Let me be clear. Every proposal for school choice that I have seen provides little competition and greatly increases costs. If somebody could come up with a workable plan that costs the same I'm all for it. Show me a plan that works in a largely rural state.
March 10, 2010 at 1:33 PM Report abuse
Oak said...
Every proposal for school choice that I have seen provides little competition and greatly increases costs. Then they must have been crappy proposals, because choice should create competition and result in lower costs.
March 10, 2010 at 2:20 PM Report abuse
ModerateOne said...
Oak, maybe it should. But, as I said, the devil is in the details. Show us a good plan.
March 10, 2010 at 2:25 PM Report abuse
Oak said...
ModerateOne - I'll admit my idea didn't come from the top of my head. It is something that was brought up on a recent episode of Stossel. Apparently they actually do this in Sweden or some such place and the educators absolutely hate it. It forces them to *gasp* constantly innovate, keep good ideas and discard bad ones *OMG the HORROR* or they lose funding as parents choose to place their children elsewhere.
March 10, 2010 at 2:29 PM Report abuse
MainenCrisis said...
Tridailer lets not bring the unions into this, afterall the teachers union spent $640,000 to fight agains tax caps and spending caps.
March 10, 2010 at 2:53 PM Report abuse
ModerateOne said...
Just a thought here, what school district gets the lease help, percentage wise, of any district in the state? Cape? Falmouth? Yarmouth? York? No, Lake Region. And, they have plenty of low income kids. Yes, they need to make changes (a new Principal would be a good start) as all under performing districts do. And yes, I understand the funding formula. But somehow it doesn't feel right. And, for all you right wing liberal bashers, this is smack dab in the middle of a very conservative area. Not an elected Democrat for miles.
March 10, 2010 at 3:03 PM Report abuse
mtc said...
The you get these teachers complaining that they don't get paid enough. Like they didn't know about the pay scale before they went to college. Of course you don't see alot of them working over the 12 weeks of summer they get paid for.
March 10, 2010 at 4:20 PM Report abuse
crumbcookie said...
I live in Utah and there are a few Charter Schools. To get in - you have to put your name in for a lottery for a vacancy of that school year. If you want your child to attend a charter school you have to be a participant in your child's education. It is not a private school and charter schools run on less money because of the parental involvement. We have major issues with immigration here and because of it those whose only language is not English are the ones to get the one on one attention while little Tommy and suzy are left on thier own. Charter Schools are a good thing for parentts who want to be involved in their child's education. For Maine to make them illegal is for the law makers to say to the parentsyou have no say in your kid's learning.
March 10, 2010 at 8:09 PM Report abuse
RobertAT said...
I think the problem with education is amply displayed in these comments. It's the community. You abdicate all responsibility and point fingers. The racism and classism is just plain offensive. The abject ignorance of school funding and the realities of charter problems is astounding. The bashing of teachers, who are underpaid, is why little Brandon and Megan don't think they need to do their work at school. You pass that attitude on to them and it is unfounded. I was working in a school today where a large percentage of the staff has already been told that they have no job next year, but the rest of the staff will have class sizes well over 25. Oh, then they were told that they are expected at unpaid training in July and August. Each of you who posted here today should be made to teach in one of these schools for a week. I defy you to actually be able to do it well. If you think you can do it, get off your thinkers and do it.
March 10, 2010 at 9:09 PM Report abuse
trisailer said...
The single biggest influence on the success of students is parental involvement. Parents like the idea of having kids, they just don't like all the work to raise them. Schools have become overpriced babbysitting services. More could be accomplished if we took a second look at the outdated model of making kids sit in a classroom for 6 hours a day. I would like to see more programs like the outdoor programs being used for troubled teens that combine the 3 R's with confidence building.
March 11, 2010 at 10:30 AM Report abuse