End the negative rhetoric about local schools
When did we allow ourselves to become so negative, dismissive of facts and focused on political expediency more than doing what is right for the right reasons? There has got to be a better, more positive way to have a discussion about public schools. What's positive shouldn't get lost in a heated public discourse.
Monroe County is home to some of the highest achieving and best schools in the state and nation. In all corners of our region great instruction happens on a daily basis. Children meet and exceed rigorous standards, staff members perform at a high level and communities are engaged in their children's schools. The situation is actually pretty good. Not perfect, but, boy, are your schools working hard to get there.
Despite significant success over a long period of time, the governor repeatedly talks about failing schools and the need for major reform. He cites 178 public schools that are failing as evidence. According to the New York State Department of Education website, there are 4,530 public schools. This equates to 96.1 percent of schools finding success and 3.9 percent not making the grade.
According to Education Week's 2015 "Quality Counts" report card, New York state schools rank ninth in the nation. The 2015 Newsweek and US News & World Report"Best High Schools" lists include multiple Monroe County schools citing their overall excellence. The average high school graduation rates for our 19 Monroe County districts (including RCSD) is 89.7 percent, significantly higher than the national graduation rate of 81 percent. Our schools are not failing. Again, they're not perfect, but they are working really hard to get there.
The days of a one-size-fits-all approach in the classroom are past, so why is this one-size-fits-all approach acceptable in legislation? Just as every student has different strengths, weaknesses and needs, so do our districts. The answer is not more legislation; it is more local control.
We continue to be concerned about the pervasive negative rhetoric regarding what we know to be great public schools. We know that we need to continue working hard to continuously improve. We wouldn't have it any other way.
Reform efforts should focus on what works and not on negative rhetoric based on the faulty use of statistics and political attacks on teachers.
Kevin McGowan is superintendent of Brighton Central Schools and Mike Pero is superintendent of Pittsford Central Schools.End the negative rhetoric about local schools:
Big Education Ape: Troubled public schools starving, not failing http://bit.ly/1DpCG4y
