Schools have been living in fear of restructuring deadlines. They are here. How many schools are being affected?
While some believe that souls that do not fulfill a successful life may go to purgatory to work out issues, where do schools go that have not met NCLB standards? Is there a purgatory for unsuccessful schools? According to NCLB there is. It is called "school restructuring." If a school has not met the demands of NCLB, drastic steps need to be taken.
How Many?
According to TIME, 2300 schools will be undergoing major restructuring this year or next. What does restructuring look like?
- principals fired
- teachers moved or fired
- free tutoring for students
- students moved to other schools
- hiring turnaround specialists
Schools that accept Title I funds are subject to these mandates which affects nearly all public schools.
Queens
A school in Queens, New York, has experienced dramatic restructuring. The school had three major problems:
- poor test scores
- high dropout rates
- gang violence
Newly hired Principal Denise Hallett found herself in a tough situation three years ago. She was to improve a failing school after the former principal was removed. She stepped in and painted the school with hot pink and bright yellow colors in the 100 year old school. She also had the overwhelming task of hiring three-fourths of her staff. Because of union contracts, the teachers could not just be fired but they were "moved" to other schools allowing new teachers to enter Far Rockaway High School.
Changes
Other than replacing teachers and fresh paint, Hallett also
- gave new teachers support they needed
- hired a full-time professional development coach
- provided more lesson planning time
- exposed kids to careers
- made school fun
Results?
Hallett states that math scores have improved but English is still struggling. Hallett states, "I have students who come into this building and they can't read. Schools have failed them. If I have a kid that can't read at grade level four, they're not going to pass a state examination." [Nancy Zuckerbrod,TIME, time.com, June 20, 2007]
2007-2008
The next two years will be filled with upheaval and frustration in education as deadlines approach. But the bottom line is that schools are expected to improve and they are expected to do it now.
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
