In “Schools defend work to close racial achievement gap, unsure of cause,” Carolina Public Press reporter Imari Scarbrough examines the wide achievement gaps between students who attend public schools in Asheville.  She writes,

As Asheville City Schools wrestle with one of the largest racial achievement gaps in the nation, district Superintendent Denise Patterson says the system is pursuing solutions and keeping the community informed.

The school district is in its second school year of working with Integrated Comprehensive Systems for Equity to “delve deeper into the history of inequities in education and to work together to address inequities in our schools,” according to the school district’s website.

It appears that Superintendent Patterson has her work cut out for her.  After all, it does not make much sense to initiate programs or other measures if you cannot identify the discrete causes of a problem.  But at least she aknowledges that a problem exists and that the potential causes are long-standing and complex.