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Bishop Elementary test scores sky high |
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Thursday, 24 September 2009 |
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By Mike Bodine
Register Staff
9-24-2009 Tuesday’s meeting of Bishop Union Elementary School Board of Trustees was, reportedly, very well attended.
Though the agenda included updates from school principals on successful testing scores, most of those in attendance were there to voice their displeasure at the board’s decision to allow President Barack Obama’s Sept. 8 Back-to-School speech to be aired in classrooms after all.
Despite the controversy at the meeting – and huge turn-out – the board was more impressed with the news about the school’s skyrocketing testing scores.
Board chair Eric Richman said Wednesday he was very proud to report that Standardized Testing and Reporting, or STAR, scores are all up, and that all schools in the district have met or exceeded No Child Left Behind requirements.
“I’m really proud of the work Betsy McDonald (Pine and Elm Street School principal) has done,” Superintendent Barry Simpson said Wednesday. “The test results show incredible strides in both English and Math.”
Home Street Middle School should be lauded as well, both Richman and Simpson said.
“Principal Randy Cook should be commended for his hard work, too,” Simpson said.
Simpson said that of the kids taking algebra classes at Home Street, 97 percent of them passed the algebra portions of the mandated testing.
And, soon all eighth graders will be taking algebra classes. Richman said a new state requirement will make all students take some algebra before high school.
Richman added that science scores at Home Street are through the roof. “I’m very proud of that.”
Simpson added that specific numbers and test scores will be available soon.
However, the big attraction at school board meetings was, and still seems to be, President Obama’s speech on education.
In fact, there are reports that Bishop Police officers were asked to be on scene Tuesday night, as the crowd was expected to be large.
One agenda item included the board agreeing to have the president’s 18-minute message available to teachers who can show it in the classroom, with students having the option not to view the message. Richman explained it will be up to the teacher’s discretion as to what the students who opt out will do for those 18 minutes.
Thaddeus Taylor, representing the local Republican Party, said he was asked by friends to attend the meeting as well to show his support for his friend, Simpson.
Taylor said the board made an interesting call in accepting that Simpson’s earlier decision not to show the message was not a politically motivated one, but the board agreed to go against his decision and have the message available.
“Do they (the board) lack confidence in someone they just hired?” Taylor asked.
Taylor said the board has now made the issue a political one by deciding to show the message.
Calls in to other attendees of the meeting – specifically opponents of the president’s message and the board’s decision – were not returned by press time.
It was also reported that, unfortunately, the majority of those attending the meeting left before they could hear the news about the positive results from the STAR testing.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 09 October 2009 )
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