The "Grades" Are In...

As the largest school system (corporation) in Allen County, one would inherently think that it would be the BEST. With the greatest number of students (a lot more than all the others put together as well as private schools), one might also come to believe that it would have damn near everything a student could possibly need. In very many ways, this IS true. For it's size, FWCS has some of the best programs available to students.
It also has a plethora of problems.

In spite of the fact that FWCS is currently going through a remonstrance to postpone a $500 MILLION DOLLAR across the board building upgrade (elementary through senior high), and in spite of it's wealth of educators, programs, and resources, the school system finds that 33 of it's 52 schools are either under probation or watch status (as per the ranking system for ISTEP+). That is rather deplorable to say the least.

Other area school corporations are going the OTHER way. SACS (SW Allen Cty) has EVERY school in the "exemplary" rank, while NACS (NW Allen Cty) has only ONE of it's schools under "watch" status (all the rest are exemplary or commendable). And for those who have children in the EAST ALLEN COUNTY school system....your 18 schools have SEVEN in either the "watch" or "probation" rankings. Sorry for the "slight"...my "report card" picture didn't have enough room. I'd have to give EACS a solid *C* for their efforts.

This would be about the time when we can start pointing fingers. Well, considering the problems encountered with the educational system today (and it's not all about the schools per se), we may wind up pointing at the wrong things.

FWCS has the largest number of EASL students (English as 2nd language).
FWCS has the largest number of "spec-ed" kids.
FWCS has the largest number of kids at or below poverty level.
FWCS has the largest number of "free breakfast & lunch" recipients.
FWCS has the highest dropout rate.
FWCS has the largest number of minority students.

Paints an interesting picture, no?

SOoooooo....maybe it's not "all" the school system's fault that these kids are failing the state tests, right? If a school is failing, that means the STUDENTS are failing. And if the students are failing, it means, most likely that they aren't showing up for class. I never knew that many kids who were there EVERY day, and still didn't glean SOMETHING from a class.
Maybe it's just as much "nature" as "nurture" that's part of this problem. And by NATURE, I mean the student's home and environs. Think if what goes on when they're NOT in school that is causing so much of these issues.

The school cannot control WHO a student's mom might be shacking up with, what drugs she's into, or whether she's even treating the kids with the respect they should be getting. Nor can a school teach a welfare mom what the hell a box of cereal, milk, spoon and bowl are for when it comes to breakfast. A school cannot police the LAZY-ASSES of the world. Neither can a school enforce study habits at home, who a child "hangs" with and is influenced by, or keep a child from getting in with the wrong crowd after the last bell of the day. A school cannot be a mother, father, sister, brother, policeman, or priest to ANY student. It's simply not it's job.

All a school CAN do is educate a student in the subjects required. A school can teach by example. A school CAN mentor. A school can point a student to the door of opportunity, but it's the student that has to choose to either OPEN the door, or walk away from it.

As to all these "what can and cannot be done" items, one thing becomes painfully clear. It becomes a PARENTAL responsibility as well as the STUDENT'S responsibility in the long run. Anything less will produce more of the results of this latest ranking.

Now I don't think tossing $500 million at FWCS for building upgrades and repairs will amount to a hill of beans to RAISE these scores. I think a little more of the "board of education being applied to the seat of knowledge" is definitely in order.

If ANY school system is going to be held accountable (by the state) for the student's test scores, then something must be done to make the STUDENTS accountable not only to the schools, but also to THEMSELVES. And to ask ANY school system to attempt this undertaking is nothing sort of undermining the root of the educational system, which is to TEACH. All a school can do is tell students to be accountable...they cannot FORCE them to be as such (unfortunately). For example...it would be folly to tell the students on the first day of class that (because of current stats) about a THIRD of them will either NOT pass the course OR even make it to graduation, so they might as well quit now and save some time. They're not ASTRONAUTS, so they should STOP taking up SPACE! I know of NO educator that would even think of doing that (however TRUE it might be).

So, in the end, like MOST of our societal problems, it comes back to...(all together gang)...the PEOPLE! And nothing short of legislating some form of civic courses in personal responsibility and accountability will seem to suffice. It's not like the "old days" when people had plenty of self motivation to seek and pursue things for themselves in the way of education. Well, at least when you parents said LEARN...they weren't bull$hitting you. They meant business. SO you LEARNED...and were not the worse off because of it.

Anything that goes around, comes around (again). We can either sit back and wait for it to do so, or we can do something to reverse this trend. We DO have the power to enact change.

As always...it's OUR choice.