Classrooms that do not strive to keep all students appropriately challenged are rare, but they do exist.
What does not exist are bands of teacher-hating parents ruthlessly trying to ferret out bad apples. Yet this characterization seems to crop up whenever the people who pay the bills request access to a system that is supposed to actively seek their input.
Fortunately, parents do not need permission to form a task force on academic rigor; a few concerned parents asking the right questions may be enough. When parents in Williamsburg recently began asking questions about a lack of challenge at the elementary school, several systemic issues quickly came to light; what we found in Williamsburg may be relevant in Northampton as well.
While most teachers work tirelessly to keep all students challenged at our school, the superintendent espouses two positions which suggest that “appropriate challenge” is a luxury, not a right.
Teachers are only required to “meet the mandate.” This means that once a student is working on par with the curriculum, the teacher is under no obligation to challenge him or her further.
The School Committee should not concern itself with crafting instructional policy, for example, teacher job descriptions, teacher evaluation systems, homework or time-in-learning expectations, but should stick to budget, negotiations and facilities issues.
When the chief administrator maintains this type of educational philosophy, bright students will occasionally be allowed to languish in unchallenging situations with no right to complain and no access to remedy.
I hope the citizens of Northampton will not wait for permission to form a task force. Ask your superintendent today where where he stands on “appropriate challenge” vs. “meeting the mandate.” Ask the parents on the School Committee if they feel empowered to make effective instructional iolicy, or dis-empowered.
Gail Paddock
Haydenville