Barresi OpEd: Education Reform Must Continue
Janet Barresi: Education reform must continue
BY JANET BARRESI
From my first day as state superintendent of public instruction, I knew I would be drinking from the fire hose. There is much to learn and do in this job, and the work is hard. But there is nothing more important or rewarding than ensuring each child in our state is truly prepared for college, career and citizenship by the time he or she graduates high school,
This mission sounds so simple, yet it has proven one of the most difficult to accomplish, because everyone has a different idea of the best method to achieve success.
In that pursuit, I have visited school districts all across this state, from Haworth in the far southeast corner to Boise City in the Panhandle, from Hollis in the southwest to Vinita in the northeast. I have spent my days visiting classrooms, and in listening to teachers and administrators, parents and community groups.
Opinions of how to improve student achievement often differed.
It’s hard for many parents to hear that a third-grader should be retained because he or she is reading significantly behind grade level and needs the additional time and resources to get on track.