The perils of pass-fail in Jacksonville's high schools

[Metro Jacksonville]

The perils of pass-fail in Jacksonville's high schools



As Duval County celebrates the giant leaps made by local high schools, there are some people who choose to look for the cloud within the silver lining. A quick visit to the Times-Union's online message boards reveals a kind of cynicism that exposes the challenges of reforming our schools.  Critics are incredulous that Andrew Jackson, William M. Raines and Jean Ribault High schools could be anything but failures in teaching and learning.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-jan-the-perils-of-pass-fail-in-jacksonvilles-high-schools-

[Adam W]

I'm sorry, but what happened with Jackson, Raines and Ribault? It's really not clear from this article/editorial. A bit of perspective or background might help. I am unfamiliar with the cases of those particular schools.

[Jaxson]

The three high schools, once in danger of closing due to poor grades from the state, earned passing grades based on their FCAT scores and other factors.  While this came as a surprise for many in the community, it raised a few eyebrows because some cynics believe that this is too good to be true.

[Adam W]

The three high schools, once in danger of closing due to poor grades from the state, earned passing grades based on their FCAT scores and other factors.  While this came as a surprise for many in the community, it raised a few eyebrows because some cynics believe that this is too good to be true.

Thanks Jaxson.

[truth really hurts]

Remember, that the reason,  Douglas Anderson, Mathew Gilbert and Eugene Butler Senior High Schools were closed and their students sent to mostly white schools(Englewood, Wolfson, Parker, Jackson, Ribault and Lee) was because of a federal court order. I lived through that  era in Jacksonville history. I was a student at Andrew Jackson during the 1970-71 school year. It wasn't pleasant for any one, black or white. Gilbert was closed and the students sent to Jackson. Everyone was told to just "get along". Eventually, we did, but it was hard. The white kids didn't want the black kids there and the black kids didn't want to be there. The Gilbert kids had already bought their class rings and were VERY attached to their own school. They had brothers, sisters, mothers or fathers that attended their schools and they wanted to attend the same school.  I remember, because I talked to many of them.

[thelakelander]

^In your opinion, do you think the closing of those schools had a negative impact on the neighborhoods surrounding them?

[Jaxson]

Let's not forget that the federal courts acted because local school officials dragged their feet on the matter.  If Duval County's school board had implemented reasonable desegregation, they likely would have been able to integrate in a way that better suited both whites and blacks. 

[thelakelander]

True, but has anyone seriously looked at the neighborhood economics associated closing public schools?  I ask, because it seems like we're facing the possibility of seeing more closed throughout the Northside.  Are we condemning an entire side of town to continued dispair and blight?

[Spence]

If a tax increase were the revenue stream tapped for funding our very broken schools, (locally/nationally)  how can the average person feel any sense of trust that these dollars would be allocated properly?
A national nightly news syndicate very recently made reference to a congress person's salary of $174,000.oo US dollars, as very modest.

There is an enormous disconnect and one may rightly state that it seems most folks in today's society sadly just do not care about those with less.

Larger than the loss of trust is a mass loss of empathy.

What do you propose we DO about it?

[Jaxson]

New revenue for challenged schools is a non-starter because many taxpayers see this as continuing to 'throw money at the problem.'  Instead, elected leaders have chosen to throw more money at solutions that only serve a segment of the students who are in the schools that are in danger of failing.  School choice looks good on the surface because it gives parents the opportunity to find greener pastures for their own children, but someone still has to teach the remaining students who continue to attend the challenged schools.  And who usually are the parents who are removing their children?  They are the parents who are usually more involved in their community schools.  And what does this leave behind?  Parents who are disengaged through either their own busy lives or their failure to appreciate the importance of education.  It is no wonder that the inner city schools appeared to be doomed.  But, what finally turned these schools around was not the threats and bullying from Tallahassee - but education officials watered down their previously stringent standards to prevent these schools from closing.