Superintendent Fornero blames principals and teachers for achievement gap in the Ann Arbor News article of October 30, 2005. Read how most Board members and the Superintendent pretend that they don't know why the achievement gap persists or that their actions aren't perpetuating it. Read what one of our members wrote in response.

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From: Alan Pagliere
Subject: Achievement gap
Date: November 1, 2005 12:37:32 PM EST
To: fornero@aaps.k12.mi.us, boe@aaps.k12.mi.us
Cc: djesse@annarbornews.com

Board Trustees and Superintendent:

Sunday's (10/30/05) article in the Ann Arbor News makes it sound as if some of the School Board members are puzzled as to why the achievement gap remains steady. The article says:
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[Trustee] Baskett said that she fears the district's focus on building a new high school and making other building improvements with a bond approved by voters in 2004 took attention away from the achievement gap. "We got distracted with that bond.''

Not true, Fornero said.
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Of course it is true and Superintendent Fornero knows it is true. And President Cross, pretends to wonder where the problem lies.

I'm sure you all remember when President Cross, at the City Council meeting considering annexation of the new high school property, said that the most important thing on the agenda was getting the annexation out of the way and that after that, the district would be able to focus on the achievement gap. Her statement is recorded on video tape.

She is also quoted in the article:
"I don't believe it's a silver bullet. (However) we need to have more intensive intervention. We know who these kids are and we need to intervene.'' Of course, building a brand new high school on the side of town opposite those students who most need it will likely not be a "silver bullet," nor will it constitute any form of "intensive intervention."

And finally, as for statistics, Superintendent Fornero is quoted in the article:
"The one that alarms me is the ninth-grade GPA,'' said Fornero. "Is it study skills? Is it something else? That conversation has to take place with the building principals and teachers.''

Shame. Pointing fingers at teachers and principals will not solve the achievement gap nor will it ultimately succeed in obfuscating the causes of the problem.

Sincerely,
Alan Pagliere

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Alan Pagliere
pagliere@umich.edu
http://www.proposedhighschool.org
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