It has all the tension of Oscar night, except there is no little gold statue in the end. In fact, the results are worse than winning a Razzie. School administrators and teachers across California are waiting breathlessly today to see if they made “The List,” and are cited as the “187 worst performing schools in the state.” Superintendents and principals have already been informed, but for everyone else, the news will come at 10am this morning. Schools on the list will be forced to fire their principals or even close, though they may have the option of reopening as a charter. In one scenario, at lest 50 percent of the teaching staffs could be let go as well.
One of the school districts likely to be affected is the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. It received a letter in February warning that at least one, and possibly more, of its schools could be on the list. Officials have since feuded with the federal government over how to define “low-achieving,” and a new list was created. Superintendent Dorma Baker now says, “We’re holding our breaths,” though she does know the final outcome. Most of all, she knows that of the districts 33 schools, 19 have been listed as Program Improvement schools for failing to meet federal standards.
“The List” is part of a nationwide effort to improve the country’s educational system. In order to be eligible for the Reach for the Top program, California was required to identify those schools that it deems to be struggling the most. The state already lost an opportunity to make the first cut of Race for the Top funding, and with a $20 billion deficit, education could suffer statewide next year—as any of last week’s protesters will tell you. Read the Mercury News.
