AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2007 > January > 03
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Old Dominion, Here We Come?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A new report from Education Week released today gives mixed marks to Georgia’s education system. The state ranks high in certain areas such as education policy, but near the bottom in others, including K-12 student achievement.
Staffers at the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center also developed a new, provocatively titled “Chance for Success” index this year that enabled them to link certain benchmarks from childhood to adulthood.
The Peach State ranked 38th among the 50 states and District of Columbia on that index with Virginia ranking 1st and New Mexico dead last. As if that wasn’t enough food for thought, editors of the 94-page report included this analysis in their executive summary:
“When state populations are viewed from this perspective, it’s clear that it matters where children live. At almost every stage, for example, a child born in Virginia is significantly more likely to experience success than the average child born in the United States … .”
OK, so who’s moving to Virginia?
UPDATE: For those interested in hearing a response from the state’s top educator, here’s the statement State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox released after the report:
“The Quality Counts report confirms that education in Georgia is moving in the right direction. It also shows that there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure that every student is receiving a top-notch education and is at least getting a high school diploma. That hard work is happening at every level of education, most significantly in the classrooms of Georgia’s schools.
“Improving Georgia’s graduation rate is the number one priority for the State Board of Education and the Georgia Department of Education. We are approaching this challenge in a common sense way — providing a strong foundation for learning through our new curriculum, the Georgia Performance Standards; setting high expectations for all of our students and giving teachers the training and resources they need to be successful. If we stay focused and determined, we will continue to see steady, long-lasting improvements in student achievement.”
Permalink | Comments (39) | Post your comment |
So You Think You Can Do It Better?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My family and friends can testify that I’m no cook. I can’t even make a proper scrambled egg. But I won’t hesitate to turn up my nose at an omelet that doesn’t taste just right. Being a critic comes easy when you’re impatiently waiting at the table.
Americans love to criticize. We critique our restaurants, our books and, yes, our schools. We pick, pick, pick even when, usually when, we know nothing about creating a gourmet meal, award-winning novel or educated citizen.
Since I began writing this blog, I’ve received my share of we-can-do-it-better taunts. So now’s your chance: Write your own blog entry on any education topic you choose. Then e-mail me a copy at bgutierrez@ajc.com. If it’s good enough, I’ll post your item as a guest blogger.
Go ahead, show me just how smart you really are.
UPDATE: Check out Get Schooled’s first guest blogger, Band Director. He did a great job of sparking debate about an interesting topic.
