Orange County school board members, including board chairman Dennis Whitling, were put on the spot last night by parents who would be affected by a proposed merger of the district’s lowest-performing elementary school and highest-performing elementary school. According to this story, parents asked for research to back up claims that merging the two school populations to “balance” the socioeconomic levels of the schools will lead to higher student achievement. From the story (emphasis is mine).
Some parents said they feel the board is blaming them for the schools’ socioeconomic imbalance. They asked for research and academic studies showing that merging schools raises academic performance.
Whitling assured them that they are not to blame, rather that the board is hoping to tap into their commitment to being involved in school. “We want to spread the use of your resources to everybody else,” Whitling said.
Kudos to these parents for pushing board members to justify a major move like this with achievement-focused data. Why would parents make such a request? Because like me, some see the merger plan as simply a way to paper over the failure to achieve at Central Elementary, which can no longer be ignored due to the No Child Left Behind law.
Stay tuned.
