Our View: 'Lowest-achieving' list
not necessarily bad news
Ten identified schools are first in line for education reform funding from Washington.
It would be easy to misread this week's announcement of the state's 10 "persistently low-achieving schools."
Nothing to be ashamed of: Portland's Riverton Community School.
This is not a list of the worst schools in the state, or even a list of failing schools. Not every school was included in the evaluation process, including some schools with serious problems.
What the list really represents is an opportunity for school districts that serve low-income students to break out of a negative cycle and make a difference for the families in their communities at a time when most education funding in Maine is facing cuts. This is nothing to be ashamed of, and these school districts should look at this listing as good news.
The 10 schools, which include Portland's Riverton Community School, are all schools that either receive or are eligible to receive federal funding through Title 1, a program designed to improve achievement of low-income students.
To get on the list, the school had to fail to show adequate yearly progress for two years, under standards set by the No Child Left Behind Program. Under a new federal program, the schools listed in each state as "persistently low-achieving" are offered more federal money to improve.
But this is not just throwing money at a problem, as some critics suggest. The federal funds come with tough conditions that some districts will not be willing to accept.
To be eligible, the receiving schools have to adopt one of four restructuring models. One, reforming as a charter school, would not be legal in Maine. Another, closing the school and transferring its students, wouldn't work in most rural communities.
The other two call for dramatic restructuring of the existing school. One choice, recently approved for a school in Central Falls, R.I., calls for the district to fire all administrators and teachers, and prevents it from hiring more than half the old teachers back.
The other calls for dramatic restructuring, including extending both learning and planning time. It also requires replacing the principal unless he or she has been on board for less than two years.
The Maine school districts willing to take this on would get help reforming their program and would be eligible for part of $12 million in federal grants over two years to implement those reforms. At a time when the state and localities are reducing funding for schools, no district should pass up a chance to make a positive difference in what they can do for students instead of just cutting programs.
If Maine is successful in its application for federal money from the Race to the Top program, more schools could get the same kind of reform efforts. Until that happens, these 10 schools have a unique opportunity, which makes this bad report card good news.
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14 COMMENTS
Felix said...
"This is nothing to be ashamed of, and these school districts should look at this listing as good news."-PPH SURE THING, AND BY THE WAY, YOUR DOCTOR CALLED WITH MORE "GOOD NEWS". RIGHT!
March 12, 2010 at 6:11 AM Report abuse
PAJ said...
I agree with you Felix, I think it is positive news for Portland1.
March 12, 2010 at 7:13 AM Report abuse
Les said...
Gee, I really like the constructive criticism by Felix and PAJ. It's beacause of Ignorant people like you that our educational system is in bad shape. I bet you send your kids to School with the idea that "Hey let the teachers do all the educating,I haven't got the time. Too busy posting Ignorant comments in the PPH!" Getting the parents involved in education is the key to education.
March 12, 2010 at 9:08 AM Report abuse
BlackAmbulan said...
If that's true, Les, why do our taxes keep going up?
March 12, 2010 at 9:21 AM Report abuse
backwrdstate said...
Riverton has a diverse student population. These students present a more challenging teaching environment that is seen in schools in, for example, Cumberland, or Cape Elizabeth. How hard is it, exactly, to educate the children of engineers and doctors versus those of lesser means? But folks like Felix offer a cheap comment, no insight whatsoever, and think they're clever. Pathetic, really.
March 12, 2010 at 11:25 AM Report abuse
padman23 said...
The reality is that education is a two party process. You need good, innovative teachers willing to adapt to the needs of the classroom. The second party is the parent who needs to make every effort to keep in communication with the teacher and follow-up with work needing to be done at home...like reading every night to your child. When you don't have committed people on both sides of the equation the child will struggle. Further, if teachers unions would lead the effort to purge the crummy teachers from the school districts then maybe, I would feel a little better about paying my taxes....Also I don't understand how it is easier to teach the child of a doctor...I am a health care administrator and have adopted three children, two of which have special needs that my school does an excellent job accommodating.....but that is because I advocate for my child to get a good education....this is not a rich person or person issue it is an advocacy issue.
March 12, 2010 at 11:33 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
And who is holding the Portland schools accountable for spending millions of TITLE ONE money on this school and achieving so little?.. Isn't 'take the money and run' the motto of the Portland Schools and their mentors in Augusta? Labeling an entire schools ignores the bottom quartile in 'non-failing' schools who need the same kinds of choice options. Maine can and must do better for its children..time to become a RED state and succeed like Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska and other states have who fully embraced the options under NCLB!
March 12, 2010 at 11:57 AM Report abuse
william said...
backwardstate takes an unwarranted cheapshot at the Riverton students, that because they are from a lower socioeconomic group they are too stupid to learn-meanwhile refusing to hold the teachers or school responsible. Racist and pathetic....
March 12, 2010 at 12:44 PM Report abuse
bobnsfo said...
This is not the teachers fault. The fault lies with the apathy from parents.Riverton School has a very large population where the parents do not speak english, and some refuse to learn it. How can teachers work in that environment?
March 12, 2010 at 1:52 PM Report abuse
adp22 said...
My daughter is finishing her first year of school at Riverton and is doing exceptionally well. She has a great teacher, loves going to school, and is already reading at a almost a 2nd grade level. I'm not saying who is right and who is wrong, but raising your kids and teaching your kids is as much a parents job as the schools. My wife and I are very active with both of our kids and make time to read to them everynight...I work 2 jobs and my wife has a job. We make a good living. Riverton is a very diverse school, and my daughter has enjoyed her time there getting to make new friends from all kinds of different cultures. I wouldn't have it any other way.
March 12, 2010 at 2:10 PM Report abuse
common_cents said...
I went to New York City schools until I was 8 and then we moved to Tacoma, WA. The NYC schools were designed to assimilate many different types of first time immigrants; they were designed as a meritocracy with succeeding levels of specialization for every type of learner, eventually ending with a one of NYC's technical career colleges--Baruch, Pratt, Performing arts. Every possible nationality and culture can be found in NYC schools; and there is every possible avenue to take to the top...IF YOU STUDIED HARD AND MASTERED ENGLISH!. The liberal Washington state curriculum was nearly a half year behind NYC's. Liberal education in Portland sucks, as does the greedy union.
March 12, 2010 at 3:43 PM Report abuse
Rocky4 said...
adp22.....Doing well.....compared to what?
March 12, 2010 at 6:23 PM Report abuse
adp22 said...
rocky 4...doing well as compared to...Not doing well, not being taught anything, not learning how to read, or write, or do math..not sure what the mystery is in saying that she is doing well.
March 13, 2010 at 2:53 PM Report abuse
THlvbg%3D%3D said...
Government in all its incarnations has been throwing money at school systems for decades, with precious little good result. To paraphrase Thoreau: Thousands hack at the branches of a problem; few go to the root. Until we back up and examine the meaning and purpose of education, hosing it down with money is worse than useless.
March 14, 2010 at 8:39 AM Report abuse