Contacts: Mike Myslinski at 650-552-5324 or Sandra Jackson, 916-325-1550
BURLINGAME – The state's new list of 188 of the most struggling public schools that face punishment due to federal or state laws once again points to the need for assistance to these students and schools, not sanctions, says California Teachers Association President David A. Sanchez.
“The state and federal government should provide the assistance and resources needed to help all students and schools to succeed. A system that is based on punishment and more sanctions does not achieve the goal of helping struggling schools improve,” said Sanchez. “What would work better would be a system built on proven reforms like smaller class sizes, more counselors and quality professional development for all educators.”
CTA also shares concerns expressed by school superintendents and others challenging the intervention models and questioning whether many of the schools even belong on the list as selections were based on confusing and conflicting state and federal requirements.
“The four sanction models are overly prescriptive and are not grounded in education research as effective reforms,” said Sanchez. “Right now local school districts have more questions than answers. The California Department of Education has failed to provide a workable timeline and has given no direction for how a school gets off the sanction list.
“We just keep piling on more sanctions with no regard to the progress our schools are making. Some of these schools have shown improvement and some of them are already in the middle of transformation programs. Rather than more top-down, one-size-fits-all solutions from the federal government, the most successful education reforms start with teachers, education support professionals, principals and parents working together to best meet the needs of students in that neighborhood school,” added Sanchez.