Jul 23 2008
Fewer CMS Schools Meet NCLB Goal
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials expressed concern Tuesday about black-white achievement gaps and a significant drop in the number of schools meeting progress standards under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
A preliminary count by the state found that 36 of 158 CMS schools tested met the standard, called “adequate yearly progress,†in 2007-08. A year earlier, 61 schools did.
Superintendent Peter Gorman attributed the decline to ever-rising standards demanded by federal law, which aims to have all students proficient in math and reading by 2014.
When you allow violent and disruptive kids to stay in school and be a distraction towards the other students there it’s no wonder that nobody is learning anything. Addressing the higher standards as the culprit, Gorman’s accusation befuddles me. If you remember, last year CMS received about $10 million more in funding than they were supposed to have because their projections of student enrollment were way under what they say said it would be. County Commissioner Bill James wanted the money returned to the county, but in the end CMS was able to keep the extra money they didn’t need.
Now, the school districts are always claiming to be underfunded and in order to properly educated our children their position is that more money is the trick. That being the case, with CMS getting more money they needed for this past school year, how were they not able to up their performance? It doesn’t make sense and just a few months ago we listened to Peter Gorman claim he would have to cut back on vital education spending when he did not receive the additional $28 million he wanted for this coming school year.
I am not supporter of No Child Left Behind. I think it’s unconstitutional, for one, and the result of it schools teaching students to a test rather than actual skills they will need later in life. Regardless of NCLB’s requirements, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District is a piss poor education system which Gorman is not improving and that is because he is not addressing the root causes of the problems within the school district.
