A good example is the attitude teachers have regarding the academic performance of minority and poor children. It's not even tolerated in the district. It's not even an issue. We don't even speak about that. It's drilled into us from day one.
Educators are fond of talking about high expectations.
But it's no secret that such ideals often fail to take root. In 1994, Marta Provenghi took over the troubled Ranchland Hills Middle School and pushed through a series of initiatives that prompted one-quarter of her teachers to leave after the first year. In four years, however, she pushed up TAAS reading scores from the low 30s to the 80s. Now principal at Cadwallader Elementary School, Provenghi is still at work boosting student performance. She's revamped the math curriculum and launched a new reading initiative.