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Monday, December 10, 2007
What Makes A School Work?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Several years ago, The Dallas Morning News published a series of articles called, “Schools That Work.” In an age of accountability, where we so often hear about what’s wrong with schools, the articles sought to put a spotlight on those that got it right.
I started thinking about this after reading Maureen Downey’s editorial yesterday, which argued that what makes some public schools work is the principals and teachers inside of them.
Last week, I visited F.L. Stanton Elementary School in Atlanta to find out why that campus performs so well when compared with other inner-city schools — which serve equally high levels (near 100 percent) of poverty-stricken students.
Principal Marlo Barber told me it’s a result of dedicated, creative teachers, who go the proverbial extra mile for students, as well as the children themselves, who come to school disciplined and ready to learn.
As I write this, I can’t help wondering whether a school’s success actually depends on whether a multitude of factors — a strong principal, committed teachers, willing pupils, for example — align. So tell me: What makes your school work? And would it still be successful if you took one of those elements away?
