Friday, November 20, 2009
Editorial: Just one more school to go
Roanoke schools have come a long way in a short time.
From the RoundTable blog
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Congratulations to William Fleming High School on achieving full accreditation this week from the state Board of Education.
The status had been questionable since June, when it was revealed a handful of school leaders cheated on the SOLs because they doubted some students would pass.
The irony is that the school would have earned accreditation without cheating. That's how well the Colonels are performing in the classroom.
And they're not alone. All but one Roanoke school earned accreditation. At the rate improvements are being made, no doubt Westside Elementary School will join the ranks through their work this school term.
When they do, students and staff will feel the pride that accompanies success after years of failure. Just ask their peers at Lucy Addison Middle School who recently celebrated full accreditation after a decade of falling short.
Staff and students at city schools have made great strides in recent years. It was just three years ago that only 17 of 29 schools were accredited. A small bump pushed it to 21 the following year. And now, just one remains troubled.
Progress didn't come by tinkering around the edges and expecting different results. It came through bold, and often unpopular, decisions by the school board and central administration. And it came by a shift in attitude and expectations, not by a tremendous infusion of funds.
While the city has boosted the local financial effort to support the schools, the state has made deeper cuts. So far, administrators have been able to soften the blow to instructional programs.
The challenge ahead is to continue the pursuit of better schools, expecting even greater achievements, on what will continue to be difficult financial terms.
