School board discusses literacy
By Diette Courrégé
A presentation Monday about reorganizing a Charleston County administrative office evolved into a much broader discussion on literacy and the school board's effort to create a policy to address the problem.
The conversation didn't result in any decisions, but it did show its members' interest in dealing with illiteracy.
Failing our Students
An occasional series of stories focusing on reading difficulties in the Lowcountry from The Post and Courier.
Board Vice Chairman Gregg Meyers triggered the 45-minute discussion by telling Chief Academic Officer Doug Gepford after the presentation that he was hoping the board would be asked for its input in setting goals to guide district leaders.
Meyers said the board needed to talk more about teacher effectiveness, and he asked members for their input on how aggressive the board's policy committee should be in drafting its literacy policy. The board doesn't have a literacy policy but decided to create one earlier this summer after a series of Post and Courier stories highlighted the community's illiteracy problem. Literacy is the heart of the district's work and should be its focus every year, Meyers said.
"There's nothing more important," he said. "We are interested in compelling the organization, if nothing else, to teach kids to read."
Board Chairwoman Toya Green said she supported aggressively promoting reading but that she didn't like the idea of tying promotion to ability. Instead, she said she favored being aggressive with district employees, particularly those who aren't doing what they need to do for students.
Board member Chris Fraser said the district needed to find ways to reward its most successful teachers and move its unsuccessful ones out of classrooms. Winning teams need winning players, and students' success is tied directly to the teachers the district provides, he said.
Superintendent Nancy McGinley told the board it would be helpful if its literacy policy required impoverished students to attend free, full-day pre-kindergarten classes, mandated student participation in intervention programs when they aren't succeeding and held teachers accountable for their students' academic growth.
Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
clisby (anonymous) says...
"Superintendent Nancy McGinley told the board it would be helpful if its literacy policy required impoverished students to attend free, full-day pre-kindergarten classes ..."
And just how could the school district *require* that? Seems to me that would take a change in state law. Currently, children aren't even required to attend kindergarten - parents are entitled to a waiver if they want one.
Perhaps she meant free, full-day preK should be *available* to all impoverished students?
August 25, 2009 at 5:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
Key word free. I didn't hear anything from anyone about getting parents involved. See the kids that do read well have parents prodding and pushing from their end too. It's not always the teachers fault. But as someone whoo is involved with children almost daily I can tell you when explaining, teaching some you get the deer in the head light look!
August 25, 2009 at 6:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
10216340 (anonymous) says...
Board member Chris Fraser said "Winning teams need winning players, and students' success is tied directly to the teachers the district provides, he said."
Ummmm, guess you're a bit out of your depth Mr. Fraser. A teacher certainly has an impact but in MOST cases a student's ability to read (and do all those other pesky little school related things) are MORE closely tied to the parents than the teacher.
I realize that to generalize is just as inaccurate, that is why I used the terms "MOST" and "MORE clearly"
Sometimes you will be right on the mark if you tie performance to pay (or whatever teacher compensation you want to tie to a student's performance). However, what are you going to do with the great teachers in the high-poverty, low-performing schools that give all there is to give and still the student's come up short because of socio-economic problems and the lack of or NO support from home?
August 25, 2009 at 6:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mb300sl (anonymous) says...
Parental involvement is the key!
August 25, 2009 at 7:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
martin (anonymous) says...
Yes, parental involvement is the key.
But, we are not so far from our rural, farming past when it was very common for students to have 2 illiterate parents.
The children had no place but school to go to learn. And, they did it.
It certainly does help when even the illiterate parents have what it takes to encourage their children. That is frequently missing these days.
But, a good teacher can still perform miracles.
August 25, 2009 at 7:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scottmcx (anonymous) says...
Our teachers are crap and the parents are worse. De-Fund Public Schools!
August 25, 2009 at 7:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
karmann (anonymous) says...
Until parents care and get involved w/ the education of their students, and not just complain, then these students will not succeed.
August 25, 2009 at 7:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lou9 (anonymous) says...
Board Chairwoman Toya Green said she supported aggressively promoting reading but that she didn't like the idea of tying promotion to ability. This woman is part of the problem with children not being able to read. She just wants to shove them through the system wheter or not they learn anything. In the real world if you don't perform at your job not only do you not get promoted, you probably won't be working at all. But once again our public school boards are all about raising taxes and no accountability.
August 25, 2009 at 10:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tc1 (anonymous) says...
"Board Chairwoman Toya Green said she supported aggressively promoting reading but that she didn't like the idea of tying promotion to ability."
Did she mean "reading" ability or ANY ability?? In any case how can a sane realistic person make such a statement??? I submit that if you can't read you can NOT have, with any validity, passed ANY of your other classes! It is criminal to give a diploma to someone who can't read the D@%N Thing!!! It is an offense against the child and society as a whole! Where is the "do it for the children" crowd here?????
August 25, 2009 at 11:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scottmcx (anonymous) says...
Again...DE-FUND PUBLIC SCREWLS...
August 25, 2009 at 11:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
10216340 (anonymous) says...
scotmcx.....our teachers ARE NOT cr@p. Many of our teachers give and give and give until they have nothing more. Some teachers are not worth they salt but no more than with any other workplace.
You paint with a broad brush and don't know what you are talking about.
August 25, 2009 at 8:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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