School restructuring backfires

Jarret Garrison walked into Fairview Elementary a typical third grader and came out a depressed first grader.

Fairview introduced a “restructuring” as they’re calling it. ISTEP and IREAD exam scores were combined with classroom assessments to create a scale determining a student’s reading level.

According to an article in the Herald Times, students who met grade level reading standards or excelled will remain in a normal classroom setting with up to 25 students. Those who scored below grade level were moved into groups of six to 12, in which teachers will focus on the students’ reading levels.

For Jarret, who has dyslexia, that meant two years of schooling down the drain.

Jarret’s mother, Keri Garrison, was one of many furious parents. Her anger didn’t stem solely from her son’s education demotion. The parents of Fairview Elementary students weren’t notified of this change until last Friday, the very day the change was implemented.

Students were given letters from Interim Principal Tammy Miller to deliver to their parents at home. No email, no courtesy call, no friendly postcard, no appropriate forewarning whatsoever.

This was the last straw for the Fairview parents. They spent Monday picketing outside the MCCSC building.After growing a gathering of about 50 people, the protesters were invited inside the boardroom, where they were addressed by Superintendent Judy DeMuth.

She apologized, took the blame for how badly the situation was handled and played typical angry mob gentler.

The parents demanded their children be put back in their original classes. They shouted that this action was “disrespectful.” They demanded blood — not really — just the principal’s job.

But in this economy, it’s practically one and the same.

There is nothing wrong with trying to increase a school’s reading scores. Schools have been integrating increasingly difficult curriculums for years to prepare kids for the future. Society demands more of kids than it did 10 years ago.

But Fairview missed the mark.

Not just because they didn’t inform the parents properly, but the program itself is flawed. It leaves no room for consideration of students like Jarret who have learning disabilities or other handicaps.

Jarret’s mother said in the article that her son has scored fine in other areas of the ISTEP exam. Yet, because of a low score in a category bound to be hindered by his dyslexia, he’s knocked back with a bunch of kids who just stopped eating glue.

This isn’t a fair system.

MCCSC needs to go back to the old ways and let the year finish out normally.
They should take the time to come up with a better idea, or students like Jarret won’t return to Fairview.

The parents won’t allow it.

­— lnbanks@indiana.edu
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