The shocking statistics presented this month to the Morgan Hill
School District Board of Trustees by the Education Specifications
Committee should serve as a call to action for all district
officials, administrators, teachers and parents: We
’re failing our children in many respects.
The shocking statistics presented this month to the Morgan Hill School District Board of Trustees by the Education Specifications Committee should serve as a call to action for all district officials, administrators, teachers and parents: We’re failing our children in many respects.
We urge the district to post the statistics showing Live Oak High School’s performance compared to the 11 other similar Bay Area schools in the following areas on the district Web site:
• API
• SAT 9/CAT 6
• California standards
• SAT I
• Graduation rate
• Dropout rate
• Percentage of students meeting UC/CSU course requirements
• Grade data
• Advanced placement testing rates and pass rates
• High school exit exam
But just putting the numbers on a Web page isn’t enough. The district needs to include an easy-to-understand explanation of what each test measures and what its goal for achievement in each area is. The data should break out special populations – English learners, special education, socio-economic status – to see how the district is meeting these student’s needs.
Everyone in the district – from trustees to administrators, from teachers to parents – needs to become familiar with the data so we can begin to find ways to address the problems. We can also study the district’s successes to take lessons from what we’re doing right and apply them to areas where improvement is sorely needed.
One clear solution that came out of the Ed Specs committee’s work is the need for teacher collaboration and communication time. Without time to study issues, to work together and to brainstorm and to learn more about teaching and their field of specialization, we can’t expect to get anywhere in solving the thorny problems facing our students. Every successful school the Ed Specs committee reviewed set aside significant chunks of regularly scheduled time for teacher collaboration and professional development.
The district and the teacher’s union will very shortly begin negotiating a new contract. The district is also facing a unique scheduling opportunity with the move next fall of ninth graders from middle schools to high schools.
We urge the teachers and district to find a way to make significant amounts of teacher collaboration and professional development time a reality in its new contract – despite the financial challenges the state is facing. It’s that important.
Teacher collaboration and professional development time can go a long way toward helping district schools achieve alignment and matriculation between the grades. That way, middle schoolers will arrive in seventh grade knowing the math, science, reading and writing skills their teachers expect – and ninth graders will arrive in high school in the same shape.
For teachers, collaboration and professional development time is a matter of not only doing their jobs better, but also making their work more pleasant. We urge them to meet the district at least halfway on a teacher collaboration and professional development proposal.
For the district, administrators need to get creative – even cutting administrative salaries and/or positions, if necessary – to make teacher collaboration and professional development time a reality.
The district is poised at the precipice of great changes with potential for many positive outcomes. We’re moving toward a long overdue ninth to 12th grade configuration for our high school students that should go a long way toward improving achievement.
We’ve got a unique scheduling opportunity at our middle schools that, if properly leveraged, can make teacher collaboration and professional development time a reality at the district’s two middle schools at no cost. We have an active and motivated community ready to support change. Our high schoolers will attend smaller high schools where they’ll be better known by their instructors and fellow students.
Let’s make the most of these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to find a way to make teacher collaboration and professional development time a reality – for the good of all our students.
Parents, taxpayers and interested community members can make a difference here. Urge board members to insist that results be posted and that negotiations include the all-important teacher collaboration and professional development time.
To respond to this editorial or comment on this issue, please send or bring letters to Editor, The Morgan Hill Times, 30 E. Third St., Morgan Hill, CA 95037, fax to 779-3886 or email to
ed******@mo*************.com
