Education By The Numbers

Sitting from behind my desk in the library, I have seen a mini-parade of LSC committee members (Vinnie Spirito, Maria Carrasco, and the latest, Rick Starbard). It is hard for me to believe but they didn't come to see me.

You see next to me in the library is a behavior class. Not at first would seem an ideal placement for that particular class. However, it has worked. In fact, it has been a good place especially considering the cramped quarters of the classroom. The teacher, Coach K. has masterfully used the library as a reward for good behavior and for an occasional change of environment that is so effective when dealing with that population.

Now enter the infinite wisdom of the scholars in the ivory tower also known as the administration building, they want to play a little shell game so they can potentially stuff more behavior kids from other schools into Ford. The logic of this latest attempt at micromanagement blows my mind but does not surprise me.

Because Ford has relatively higher MCAS scores it is better able to absorb the typically lower  MCAS scores that come along with these behavior students. This also has the added benefit of removing those same scores from the roster of those lower scoring schools thus inflating their overall results. Sounds like a plan to me.

As in any battle there are unintended (or so they would have us believe) victims of friendly fire. The first of these victims would be the Ford School's NASA program. In order to make room for a class is being planned to occupy the room dedicated for NASA. In that room the DLN hookup is placed along with the tables needed for practical experiments. The DLN hookup would then be placed in the library, my library, thereby putting the whole NASA affiliation in jeopardy. This affiliation is a prestigious distinction and should be trumpeted not vandalized.

There is also some class size issues at work here too. Still there is truth to the old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". I don't have all the details, I'm just a volunteer librarian. There is a meeting tonight with the mayor. Members of the LSC, Dr. Latham, and members of the Highlands Coalition. Let's see who shows up.