Reports on schools launch discussion on poverty, teaching

from the Journal Inquirer

By: Matt Engelhardt , Journal Inquirer

EAST HARTFORD - A consultant's reports on the quality of individual schools set the course Monday for a Board of Education discussion on issues that included student poverty, teaching effectiveness, and resources.

The school board reviewed the Cambridge Education report on three elementary schools and the high school during its regular meeting, held at the Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy.

The state-commissioned reports analyzed the quality of education for the entire public school system as well as each individual school.

On Monday, the board reviewed the reports for Silver Lane, John A. Langford, and Robert J. O'Brien Elementary schools before concluding with the report for East Hartford High School.

The reports are designed as a third-party review of the public school system. School Superintendent Marion Martinez said the full report cost $32,000 and an analysis of each individual school cost $7,000. The reviews took place last October.

The state Department of Education commissioned the review because East Hartford was one of 12 low-performing school systems in Connecticut. The state's goal is to find ways to improve standardized test scores.

Martinez said the reports represented a "snapshot in time" of what visiting reviewers learned of the schools during their short visits, but did fully reflect the positives and negatives of the education system.

School board Chairwoman Mary Alice Dwyer Hughes said she welcomed an outsider's perspective on the schools and was not afraid of what the Cambridge reports revealed.

"I think they're actually very beneficial," Dwyer Hughes said.

The reports listed strengths and weaknesses for each school, and there was plenty in each category.

Among the positives: the schools' leadership, involvement of the community, behavior of the students, and much of the faculty.

The board focused most of its discussion on areas that need improvement, particularly achievements and goals, some teaching practices, and resources.

The reports also led to a discussion of the correlation between students coming from impoverished backgrounds and achievement levels.

Silver Lane, Langford, and O'Brien each have large populations of students receiving free or reduced lunch; at Silver Lane, 90 percent of the students are eligible.

Board member Dorese Roberts said she had a problem with the idea that poverty prevents learning.

"I think we keep using" poverty "as an excuse about why our kids cannot learn," Roberts said.

Martinez responded that during her time as superintendent she has never used poverty as an excuse.

However, Martinez said, students coming from impoverished backgrounds often lack basic vocabulary and communication skills, leaving it up to the public schools to try to bring those students up to a level at which they can perform.

"For many children, it takes them longer," Martinez said. "That is my only point."

The reports also were occasionally critical of teacher performance, notably in relation to the achievement level expected of students.

Dwyer Hughes said teachers must push kids as hard as possible and that East Hartford cannot afford to have educators not teaching to the best of their abilities.

She added that a goal for each student should be higher education and that the members shouldn't settle for criticisms that kids aren't being pushed.

"I think I speak for the entire board when I say we expect more than that," Dwyer Hughes said.

Martinez said most of the teachers are teaching to their fullest and that the criticisms reflected only a fraction of the faculty or staff. Additionally, schools have a commitment to professional development and teachers are consistently applying new techniques to their classrooms.

Regarding resources, members noted that books are significantly lacking, especially the kind that students can take home from libraries and read on their own, leading to a discussion about lack of funding.

Martinez said the schools already have improved since the reports were compiled, and that if Cambridge Education were to visit now they would see that instruction is much different than in October.