Schools Matter: Open Letter Season on Arne Duncan

Schools Matter: Open Letter Season on Arne Duncan

Open Letter Season on Arne Duncan

by Jim Horn

A great one posted by Valerie Strauss:

By Valerie Strauss

This was written by Carol Corbett Burris, the principal of South Side High School in New York. She was named the 2010 New York State Outstanding Educator by the School Administrators Association of New York State.

Dear Mr. Duncan:

You have never been to my high school, but if you visited, you would be impressed. It is an integrated suburban public high school that meets AYP each year for all groups of children. We are on all of the top 100 lists — U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and The Washington Post. Over 80% of our students graduate having passed the state exam in Algebra 2/Trigonometry and over 60% graduate with AP Calculus under their belt. We do a good job by the students we serve, some of whom have difficult life circumstances. I doubt that you will ever visit — we are not a KIPPor other charter school likely to attract your attention. I think you should know, though, something