My Response to Molly....

A friend wrote a simple blog the other day http://http//maconindependentthoughts.blogspot.com/ I got so carried away in my response that I ended up with more verbage in the comment than she had in the blog. I figured I would go publish my response--as it had too many characters to go in her comment section.

If you don't get a chance to read her blog, which I encourage you to do, the jest of her thought was that education is critical to the well-being of any community. It is her belief that in order to grow and be productive, the community must provide quality education.

I agree. I also know that they way education is measured is sckewed. I fully believe that the educational successes in Bibb County have yet to get the media attention that the negative matters get. Of course we know this to be the case with any matters. The general public doesn't get involved until they hear or fear the worst. When things are well, the media fails to highlight it...it won't be the lead story on Monday night's news or it won't be above the fold on Tuesday morning. Good news makes the Saturday evening report and the back page of the B section. Why? Why aren't we seeking for the good in our communities? Why aren't we spending time in schools to find out how much work the teachers really do? Why aren't we volunteering to help if we really think the public schools are so bad?

I have digressed...here is what I wrote to Molly! Feel free to let me hear your feedback!

I have always enjoyed your writing but after reading your opening paragraph, I might just be a major MMW fan, despite our very different political views. I have always thought it important to seek as much information about a subject before voicing an opinion. More importantly, I always believe that as much as I know about any subject matter, someone can always teach me more; and after getting that new knowledge, I may discover a change in the way I view the subject. That being said, I totally want to borrow your phrase the next time I write on a subject. As a matter of fact, let’s just pretend I’m using it now, as I proceed to comment on your topic.

I agree, education is the most critical component of economic-development in any community. Most communities share the same issue as Macon's public education system (i.e. a negative perception of public schools, a lack of community involvement in public schools, and a continuing misunderstanding of what causes public schools to appear unsafe, unsuccessful, and unmanageable).

I know that if someone only has Macon as a frame of reference it is tough to understand why other communities have higher graduation rates or better test scores than Macon does. Frankly, Macon is no better or worst than the rest of the communities with regards to education. I remember reading an article a week or so ago posted by Charles Richardson. Richardson noted that Macon had such horrible performance numbers; specifically he talked about the graduation rate for Macon (just over 60% graduation rate for all high-schools). Well, 60% sounds bad, truthfully it is not the best number but several things must be considered when you look at the 60% that graduated.

First, understanding how the graduation rate is calculated helps to bring some clarity to the graduation rate. Nationally, there is no consistency with how a graduation rate is calculated. I am not sure if they still calculate their graduation rate this way but, in 2007 Florida-a state which tracks students-counted students getting a GED as well as those getting a full high school diploma. Also in 2007, New Mexico counted any student that was enrolled at the start of the 12th grade year and ultimately graduated that year. Georgia-which does not track students-counts the number of children enrolled in the 9th grade and counts the number of students that graduate four years later. Here are a few scenarios which would alter the graduation rate using the same amount of children that get the same outcome but a different percentage. For simple math we will use 1000 children.

(this graph is an example, the outcomes are reality, but the numbers are samples used to make the point)

As seen in this graph, all the states had 600 graduates, all the states had 50 students obtain GEDs, and all the states had 1000 students to enter a freshman class. There is nothing different about the students. Each state had students to transfer to different districts, and each state had students that did not complete the senior year, even after being there at the start of the senior year. However, the way graduation rate is calculated for each state, it allows for some states to appear to graduate a high number of students than others.

New Mexico, only counted the number of students enrolled at the start of the 12th grade year (700). To obtain their graduation rate all New Mexico has to do is to count the number of students that graduate that year (600). Georgia counts the students as freshmen (1000) and obtains their graduation rate based on the number of students that graduate four years later (whether they are the same students or not). So who has it right? I don’t know. Is GA messing up by not actually tracking students? What if the student graduated on time but just graduated in Houston or Monroe County as oppose to another county where they started their freshman year? What if the student graduates early? Is New Mexico cheating by only counting students that enter the 12th grade? In most cases, are not students more likely to drop-out well before the 12th grade? Is Florida correct for tracking each student individually as oppose to tracking a group of students for a set amount of years? I don’t know the answers. I do know that you can’t compare a graduation rate in Georgia to a graduation rate in Florida and think you are comparing apples to apples.

I don’t think you can compare two counties in Georgia-or any state-fairly. I only used graduation rate because it was one of the easiest measures. If we start comparing how the state standardized test can mean something totally different in Twiggs than it does in Henry we might actually stop testing children all together. I agree that there must be some type of measure of success but every community should be afforded the same right as every state has, and given an opportunity to develop criteria that measures success or failure for both the students, the administrators, the teachers, and the community.

Here’s the long and the short, each district is different. Each neighborhood is different. The one that works is everyone getting involved. During my campaign and even after I lost my bid to remain on the Bibb County School Board, I talk about how each of us had a responsibility to help our pubic schools. It is our neighborhood, our city, our community. We can’t expect to compete against China when we can’t figure it out in our own backyard. We don’t have to have a child in the school system in order to get involved. I don’t have any children but I know how important it is for my businesses and other businesses to grow in a community with a highly educated workforce. Get involved with your public schools, volunteer, make a difference. Smokey the Bear says ‘only you can prevent forest fires’, I say only you can help increase literacy and learning in your community.