The lowest ranking school in the state serves a population of migrant workers north of Salton Sea in the Coachilla Valley who live in utter squalor out of their cars or in tar shacks and dilapidated trailers and who move several times a year with the harvest. I know this area because I did some inservice training with teachers around the area, who face tremendous challenges in teaching these children. I have also driven through the Salton Sea colony where they live and was shocked to see poverty and living conditions unlike any I had ever seen in the United States and more like I had seen in the slums of Latin America. To the contrary, the talk focuses around finding ways to boost test scores so that at least schools look better in the rankings. Few seem to be questioning whether or not higher test scores equate to a better education, more learning of valuable skills, and more opportunities for a better life.
Teachers now know which schools to avoid.
Why We Californians and educators must ask ourselves whether or not we will demand accountability from our policymakers and the public, or if we are satisfied with a system that attempts to hold us accountable for factors that are beyond our control. We must continue to speak out against public complacency and against those in power who believe that the burden of providing a quality education for all children has been shifted onto educators and away from those who are content to criticize and not act. If we do not point out the shared responsibilities for education reform between the education community, the public and the state, we cannot expect the API to do more than further demoralize and denigrate u Jill Kerper Mora, Ed.