I applaud the mission statement of the Kent County Public Schools “ Anchored in Excellence “. Does this statement mean that students will receive a rigorous academic program that will prepare them to meet the challenges of a global economy?
Will students have the knowledge and skills that will allow them to compete with students whose academic programs stretch them in the math and sciences? I would assume that this is the intend of a school system that will be academically first in the State of Maryland in five years as proposed by ““Kent Forward.”, a movement under the leadership of Mr. Richard Goodall.
Given that proposition, I am perplexed that the Board of Education would reduce the graduation
requirements from 25 credits to 23 credits. To achieve this reduction the plan is to drop one required science credit and an additional academic credit.
As a long time educator, I find this movement troublesome especially since students in Kent County do not typically excel in the science and math areas. A reduction in either of these disciplines will certainly not bode well for academic excellence.
I realize that the minimum credits for graduation as required by the Maryland State Department is Education is 21 credits. However, only eight school systems in the State of Maryland are satisfied with the minimum. It is interesting to note that our neighboring counties, Queen Anne’s and Cecil which Kent County Public Schools are often compared, require 26 credits to meet graduation requirements.
Academic excellence does not equate to reducing requirements but stretching and challenging students while providing supports, encouragement and high expectations. I am confident that the Superintendent and the Board of Education will seriously consider the meaning of their mission statement “Anchored in Excellence” in the decision making process.
Bill Anderson says
Dr. Wheeler, as a long-term educator, you certainly know exactly what this nonsense is all about — social promotions up to and including graduation. As an employer who receives numerous employment applications from recent graduates of Kent County High School and Queen Anne’s County High School at Centreville, I know how the preponderance of young people endeavoring to fill out such applications seem stymied by simple requests for information on a pre-printed form. The true test is that section where an applicant is asked to provide a bit of narrative as to what they believe their best abilities might be. So now, somebody wants to lower the bar that is being raised everywhere else? For what purpose? It certainly causes me some alarm.
Joseph D. Irr, Ph.D. says
I wish to confirm the concerns expressed by Dr. Wheeler who is expressing concerns about the reduction in course requirements for graduation from our Kent County High School. It is hard to comprehend how in the twenty first century, the need for proper scientific training and education can be lessened. Think about it: Science daily impacts so many aspects of our daily lives. Every thing we seem to do is influenced in some way by prior scientific discoveries and the same will hold true for the future. To survive, one surely ought to be kept abreast of new scientific discoveries and to do this one should have solid foundations in scientific knowledge.
Since I am a scientist, now retired, I constantly marvel at how scientific knowledge is so effectively amassed and put into practice. I can hardly keep up. Surely our schools need to be increasing the science education programs not dropping science course requirements. Therefore, I call upon the School Board to reconsider this type of curriculum change. If I had my way I would increase science course requirements for our future leaders.
Janice Dickson says
Strive for mediocrity. Any more policy questions?
Marty Stetson says
Editoe,
My question is why would you make the reduction? There must be some reasonable explaination but I am just not sure what it could be.
Robert Ortiz says
Editor,
I read former superintendent Barbara Wheeler’s op ed piece in the Spy with great interest and much disappointment. What dismayed me was that she had written it. If memory serves me correctly, when she was Superintendent, Dr. Wheeler lamented school policy decisions being inadequately discussed in the local media and the negative impression that left in the community at large. Back then, and even now, I tend to agree with that assessment. This op ed piece reads, to me, as continuing that questionable tradition. Once again, in the arena of “public opinion” the impression that this reader was left with is that “those people” are making poor decisions about our children’s education.
More than anyone, as the former Superintendent, Dr. Wheeler should have been aware of the scheduling issues caused by Kent County High School’s block scheduling and issues that it causes with students’ ability to schedule classes…these were issues that should have been addressed years ago and that, in large part, is what seems to be driving the change in graduation requirements.
If this is correct, I’m glad to see that the present Superintendent, working with the School Board, is working on that issue…it’s long overdue. Oh yes, and lest anyone be misled, I believe that you still have to take the same number of science courses to graduate…that has not been reduced.
Chris Braver says
Editor,
Accolades for a mission statement, really? Is this a fake-it until you make-it strategy? We are NOT Anchored in Excellence, we are at the bottom of the State Academic Performance list of counties. Kent Forward, as told to me by the Kent Forward’s Director, is focused on truancy; “We need to get these kids in school”. Do we suspect that our highest academic achievers are not going to school, thus by getting them to attend, our scores will sky-rocket and we will no longer be at the bottom of the list? I propose that if Kent Forward successfully abolishes truancy in it’s entirety in Kent County, they will meet their goal. However, I believe that’s all they will accomplish. I fail to recognize how this strategy raises test scores significantly enough for those who currently attend on a regular basis.
Keith Thompson says
Editor,
How does a focus on truancy raise test scores? It’s called a change in culture. School attendance isn’t the reason why Kent County schools has been ranked at the bottom in academic performance, but is the merely the symptom of a much greater problem which is an apathetic attitude toward the importance of an education. Beyond the obvious observation that a student will have a better opportunity to learn if they’re in the classroom, a major component of education is to prepare kids for the real world. Not every student is destined to be an academic high achiever meaning that a focus on test scores is only relevant to the highest achievers. Every student is eventually destined to enter into the workforce meaning that if a student doesn’t learn the importance of showing up for school, they’re not going to learn the importance of showing up for a job and therefore are not getting prepared for the real world. If parents that do care about the importance of education see a community and a school system that isn’t stressing the basic concept of showing up on time, is it any surprise that these caring parents are sending their high achievers to private schools? Before you can focus on test scores, you must first create a culture that will get the parents who do care to believe in their public school system again.