Local schools are accountable

I enjoyed reading the Dec. 9 Frontiersman editorial, “A call for accountability from public education.”

First, allow me to agree with the editor that Governor Palin’s plan to increase the education funding involves a lot of money. Anytime a public service receives such an investment from the taxpayers it comes with expectations, and rightly so.

However, according to the editor, educators lack accountability, are prone to make excuses, do not take responsibility for the degeneration of public education and are quick to blame and lament the No Child Left Behind Act. To these accusations, I beg to differ. With these sweeping statements, the editor lumps the Mat-Su School District within a stereotype I do not believe represents our schools.

No Child Left Behind is old news. It ceases to be a singular agent of change. Public schools’ sense of responsibility and accountability no longer relies on NCLB for momentum.

Perhaps the editor hasn’t heard any Mat-Su administrators as of late, but they are long past saying we need to do better. They not only say we want to get better, they say we can do better.

For instance, the district’s elementary schools support 16 literacy coaches working as interventionist and instructional coaches to improve reading in grades K-3. Their impact? Here is just one example: Pioneer Peak worked with 98 students needing early reading intervention. By November, less than 15 of the original 98 needed more intensive assistance.

Another example is the Elementary Report Card Task Force. This group of dedicated teachers and administrators is working toward creating a more informative, comprehensive report for parents and teachers. NCLB didn’t ask them to; they just knew they could do better.

Still another instance of administrators making no excuses is the intense work the high schools and middle schools are involved in to increase the graduation rate. This group is working hard to recognize a potential dropout as young as 12 years old. They are cleaning up the registration process so that, for example, kids who are already enrolled in college are no longer also labeled as having dropped out. This came long before Governor Palin looked to help the district out with additional funds.

These examples do not contribute to the degeneration of schools, nor are they the result of a national act currently under revision, nor are they the result of a proposal from the governor’s office. These few examples are happening now because Mat-Su administrators and teachers will do whatever it takes for all students to learn as much as possible. Palin may be refreshing, but her “call for accountability from public education,” as the editor maintains, isn’t refreshing. It is nothing less than we already expect from ourselves. It is, as the kids might say, a no-brainer.

I hope the editor visits our fine schools this year. I am sure he will be pleasantly surprised to find us hard at work, accountable beyond his wildest imagination and lamenting nothing except that we can’t do more.

I extend my personal invitation to the editor. I will be happy to show you around. I start my day at 6:50 a.m. at Colony Middle School. I hope to see you there.

Emily Forstner

Mat-Su