Title: What Is a 'Failing' School? | HuffPost
Headings: What Is a ‘Failing’ School?
What Is a ‘Failing’ School?
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They should be taken over by the state, given to private charter corporations, or put under mayoral control. In fact, none of these ideas has been successful. Low-performing school districts in New Jersey have been under state control for more than 20 years without turning them into high-performing districts. Mayoral control in Cleveland and Chicago has been a flop. And private charters typically do no better than public schools, except when they exclude low-scoring students. Undoubtedly there are some schools where the leadership is rotten and corrupt. In such cases, the responsibility lies with the district superintendent to review the staff and programs, and make significant changes as needed
But these days, any school with low test scores is called a “failing school,” without any inquiry into the circumstances of the school. Instead of closing the school or privatizing it, the responsible officials should act to improve the school. they should ask: What proportion of the students are new immigrants and need help learning English?