A School Leader Chooses Student Potential Over Test Scores
"We cannot rely on the archaic standardized tests we use today to judge student learning . . .
For every student (sic) rise to his/her potential we must use our communities,
through internships, mentoring . . . "
- George Wood
For every student (sic) rise to his/her potential we must use our communities,
through internships, mentoring . . . "
- George Wood
By C.J. Westerberg
I really wish a recent guest post in The Washington Post's Answer Sheet was titled "How To Be A Great School Leader" rather than "Principal: How To REALLY Turn Around A School" as it was titled. Principal George Wood's points, specifically those related to learning and assessment, are relevant messages for all schools, not just those in decline. His creds include 18 years "as a high school/middle school principal alongside a dedicated staff and a community committed to improving a school". The question begs, "shouldn't we all be in a mode of continual improvement"?
Wood uniquely defines "success":
Wood continues on to skewer some of the white-hot political topics in education, such as charters, Teach for America, philanthropist "titans" and Arne Duncan's record, where honestly, I felt he wielded too big of a brush stroke where his message on leadership might have been lost in the shuffle. (Are all charter schools created equal? Should all "private capital" be"In that time we have increased graduation and college going rates, engaged our students in more internships and college courses, created an advisory system that keeps tabs on all of our students, and developed the highest graduation standards in the state (including a Senior Project and Graduation Portfolio)."