Post Script

As a follow up to yesterday's blog concerning the largely failed infusion of $3 billion federal dollars into 'turnarounds,' I want to add a couple of thoughts. It should come as no surprise that many of the 1,500 schools receiving 'turnaround' funds had problems.

Those concerns are not borne simply out of a lack of staffing, expertise and technology as the U. S. Dept. of Education points out. The issues confronting the schools go far beyond these considerations. Until every government body, doling out funds, realizes this fact then 'turnarounds' or any other hybrid will likely encounter difficulties.

The school community as a whole, along with the neighborhood in which the school/students/families reside, must be examined and taken into account when determining the path forward. Simply removing staff, part of a staff or having some other sort of pre-determined and ill conceived criteria that dictates which schools get money and which don't won't suffice.

We can and must do better!

Dick