Blame primary education, not high-school teachers
In setting this precedent, the Obama administration is guilty of a major oversight: High-school teachers aren’t directly responsible for ensuring that students have basic math or literacy foundations [“Obama’s ‘unfriendly’ education push,” Opinion, March 10]. These students were passed from primary school without these skills and that is inexcusable. The aims of No Child Left Behind are well-meaning, however, this dilemma highlights its plethora of shortcomings.
Living in a less-affluent area, the Central Falls High School students have likely been shortchanged for decades in educational opportunities. It is the undeniable responsibility of primary teachers to ensure students meet state grade-level standards before moving on.
When this doesn’t happen, students’ academic deficiencies are compounded and eventually lead to dramatically reduced skills in high school and consequently higher incidences of dropouts. These teachers should have agreed to simple reforms that suitable teachers would enjoy and easily understand the benefits of. Their resistance is confounding.
Regardless, the responsibility for kids lacking the most necessary skills for postsecondary success should be directly attributed to the school system’s failures in primary classrooms and I’d recommend the entire district be re-evaluated for rehire unless they can address the real root of the problem. This would be a precedent that could catalyze real change.
— Lera Moore, Kirkland