Status quo: The state of things; the way things are, as opposed to the way they could be.
During the State of the Nation address President Obama came out publicly against standardized testing and in favor or more local control of education policies, contrary to the current idealism of education leaders.
During the State of our Schools address Interim Superintendent Vargas made it clear that the existing plan for our schools would not change.
During the Excellence in Student Achievement meeting it was announced that the projected graduation rate for the 2012 senior class is 49.4% with next year’s senior class not fairing much better.
This community has heard a great deal about the status quo. It was mentioned as something we must turn away from in order to turn towards a better system of education for our children. However we were given a false impression of what the status quo really is.
Our children have been failing for more than 30 years. This is the status quo. Our Board has been hiring the same ineffective superintendents that have been making the same ineffective decisions and creating the same ineffective plans, producing the same ineffective results for all of those years. This is the status quo.
This district continues to place emphasis on “Phase-in – Phase-out” programs, grade level changes, school name changes, professional development for adults, ineffective extended day programs, and less than effective summer school programs. All status quo.
What district leaders won’t do is actually acknowledge and address the problems in our district with innovative and effective plans that promote success.
Smaller class size at the elementary level, counseling at the elementary level, teaching self-control, self-confidence, and self-respect, at the elementary level in order to recognize the individual talents, strengths, and abilities of our children so that they may use those talents, strengths, and abilities to realize personal success and become successful adults; this is what education should be.
Teaching to the test is status quo, teaching to the child is innovation! Our new superintendent must know the difference and change the status quo.
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