To The Editor:
I am deeply disturbed and disappointed that Jim Ross, CEO and President of Chester River Health System would blame the school system for his inability to recruit doctors. Mr. Ross indicated that Kent County Public Schools ranked 22 out of 24 school systems. This is simply not true! There are five school systems in Maryland that are in improvement status, according to Maryland State Department of Education metrics. The Kent County Public School System is not in improvement status.
Each year, school systems are required to administer the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) to elementary and middle school students. High school students are administered the High School Assessments. The MSA is administered in March to all students in grades three through eight in reading and mathematics and grades five through eight in science. The Maryland High School Assessments (HSA) are graduation requirements and test students in algebra data analysis, biology, English 2, and government.
Assessment data for each county are published annually on the Maryland State Department’s website. The 2011 report indicates that the percentage of students in Kent County scoring at proficient or advanced in reading is above state scores in grades 3,4,6,7,and 8. In grade 5, the scores are slightly below the state. Students who are proficient or advanced in mathematics are above the state percentages in grades 3,4 and 7. Grade 5 is slightly below the state and grades 6 and 8 scores are close to even with the state. Of the graduates in 2011, 76.3% took and passed the high school assessment in biology, 82.6 % passed the algebra data analysis, 79% passed government and 82.7 % passed English.
The Maryland Report Card does not rank school systems. However, there is a credible website that does rank school systems. According to this website, Kent County’s overall performance at the elementary school level is third in the state. At the high school level Kent County is ranked 12th in the state. This website did not rank our middle school, probably because of the consolidation. The methodology that was used to compute the overall student performance in math and reading are as follows: Each school and district receive a score for how well its students perform overall. To determine this score, MarylandCAN calculated the average percentage of students who are at least proficient in reading and math on the MSA or HSA for the highest grade–level tested in a school.
While test scores are an indication of how well a school system is performing, they do not tell the entire story. Attendance, drop out and graduation rates, as well as the percentage of students who go on to higher education are also important indicators of a successful school system. In a school system with a very small student population like Kent, test scores can fluctuate greatly; for example, one or two students who score poorly can cause the system to not make Adequate Yearly Progress, thus moving the system into school improvement status.
As superintendent of schools, I acknowledge that there is room for improvement. There is an achievement gap between students who receive special education services and those who do not. There is also an achievement gap between minority and white students. These areas of need are addressed in the school system’s Master Plan and are high priority for our work.
Kent County Public Schools have shown continuous improvement in academic achievement and school climate. The negative comments about this school system made by Mr. Jim Ross, who is in a leadership position in this county, is shameful and demoralizing to the hard working men and women who are dedicated and committed to the students of Kent County.
Dr. A Barbara Wheeler
Superintendent of Kent County Public Schools
Jim Ross says
My comment about the Kent County Public School ranking was not meant to offend the hard working women and men in the Kent County School system. I commend the teachers and other school system employees for being positive role models for our youth. I was simply sharing information that physician recruits share with me. When physicians are reviewing job opportunities, there are three criteria that impact their decision: education opportunities for their children (both public and private options); job opportunities for their spouse; and local conveniences and amenities (shopping, cultural events, restaurants, athletic clubs). The reality that Chester River Health System faces is that physician recruits often pass on joining our health system due to the local school district ranking, along with limited job opportunities for spouses and lack of access to urban amenities and conveniences. These are the principle reasons new physicians choose not to come to Kent County.
One physician informed me that he used the website http://www.schooldigger.com to see how Kent County Public schools ranked against other schools in Maryland. This website determines rank of schools by adding each school’s average MSA Math score with the average MSA Reading score to form a combined average score. Thus, the school with the highest combined score is ranked number one and so on. The website uses information from the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education, and Maryland State Department of Education.
Chester River Health System is supportive of many local school and community youth activities and events. I too, try to get involved and play an active role as a Character Counts Coach one day each week. I believe that as a community we need to work together to enhance and improve the overall quality of life in Kent County.
Jim Ross, CEO, Chester River Health System
Hope Clark says
Thank you both to your steadfast attention to the struggles and achievements of children and family services in Kent County.
Jack Offett says
I am sure that for some this honest assessment about why businesses and professionals don’t want to relocate to Kent County is painful . . . but oh so true. This explains why Kent Countians move in droves as soon as they can escape the Kent County School System, hopefully by graduating. And to quote the Boss, “They ain’t coming back” except for maybe holidays.
That explains the need to nix obstetrics and pediatric units at the local hospital.
Mr. Ross continues to be a breath of honest fresh air in a community that deludes itself daily that we aren’t in an economic and social death spiral driven by our “ME” and “NIMBY” and “BANANA” mentality that is so fervent among the few of us that remain.
rachel goss says
When I ‘Googled’ Maryland Public School Rankings I found SchoolDigger and saw #22 – so will any potential New KentCountians.
Maybe the School Board should consult with them and change it.
I do believe that recruiting new folks to KC is a challenge – and not just because of the school system – it takes the right fit…Time Takes Time
Jack Offett says
You are right on about that Rachel. But it does not stop there, as you have commented time and again, if we want to attract and/or keep people here, we need to have a climate that includes activities, job opportunity, and retail options that help strengthen the core of the economy.
Ms. Wheeler’s problem is that she is either not permitted or is unable to start outside the box thinking. Kent county should be an incubator of education and job training at the high school level. We need to encourage our middle school kids to compete academically and athletically and build sound minds who can make high school a productive time.
The test of a good school system is where your graduates are heading (or not heading).
Brenda Jackson says
I met a woman who was considering taking a job at Washington College and I suggested that she move into the Church Hill Elementary School district in QAC. It’s not a bad commute. I also discussed private school options including boarding school for her older child. I always tell parents to ask school guidance counselors to provide the names of the colleges and universities that the college-bound kids are accepted into. Colleges also use systems to rank high schools. Websites like schooldigger.com provide relevant information and don’t sugar coat the data. I suggest that Dr. Wheeler takes a look.
Stephan Sonn says
Further to the back and forth between Dr Wheeler and Mr. Ross as to why a young doctor might be turned off by the quality of curriculum offered at Kent County Schools, this is a fact of life in some rural Settings/.
Granted one of my acquaintances physically moved to Queen Anne’s County to avoid Kent County Schools for her kids. Who or what is the cause of this? Rural culture? Tax base? Maybe the picky physician recruits who would have to endure the tuitions at private schools.
Rural dynamics almost certainly are the default. And defensive essays do not change that.
Historically The Feds have always picked up the slack to shore up institutions in rural areas. But some people are so busy resisting “federal intrusion” conditions just fester.
So the next time you hear about a distraught expectant mother who won’t be birthing in our local hospital, blame the socio-economic factors. At the root of that is ignorance and lack of concern by some in this community for others in this community.
There is help out there, inducements for young doctors, but, is there a coordinated community advocacy to address big issues like this?
I think not… And that suits some players just fine.
Stephan Sonn says
Back to the root issue.
Young mothers and their unborn children should not be put at risk…
because of a business decision.
Despite the abrupt denial of services, a patch for this mess should be put in place
before an unfortunate event and a lawsuit emerge.
What a long list of possible defendants there would be..
And I wonder what defense strategy would be…
Three monkeys in lab coats and an accountant
who neither saw, heard, touched nor realized
the dangerous potential.
Why does the medical school not send out a missionary?
Jake Baxter says
Bad news Dr. Wheeler……Kent County is sending just over 30 percent of its graduates to a 4 year college and another 30 or so percent to community colleges. The reality is that many of them will last under one year. I rarely see a two editions of the weekly paper go by without mention of an arrest at the high school. You had a student on the board last year that exposed rampant grade inflation and a culture of low expectations. One of your students incinerated a bus and another caused a mass panic with a specific bomb scare against our county schools . Local companies tell potential employees that Queen Anne’s neighborhoods are an easy commute…..you have capable and dedicated staff but maybe it’s time for a changing of the guard in the front office?