Will The Real School Reformers Please Stand Up?

by Megan Cottrell · 2010-12-18 06:00:00 UTC
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School reform - it's about kids, right? Making sure kids have the best possible environment to learn and grow. But too often, it turns from being about kids to being about adults.

This week, we wrote about California's new Parent Trigger law and a group of parents at McKinley Elementary in Compton who rallied to turn their kids' school into a charter school because of low test scores and lack of improvement.

But now, their actions have come into question. A number of parents who signed the petition to overturn the school's leadership say the process was flawed - parents were lied to about what they were signing or not allowed to be at meetings where important decisions were made. Other parents say the group Parent Revolution, which helps schools use the new Parent Trigger law, is corrupt.

All of this came to light at a Compton school board meeting this week. But the anti-charter parents weren't the only ones with complaints.

The ones who did sign the petition said their side was intimidated and lied to as well. One parent said she was told by a teacher that if a new charter school was enacted, they wouldn't accept special needs children. Others said they were threatened and intimidated by teachers and school staff.

For now, no decision has been made about what will happen to McKinley. The school board has asked the state attorney general to investigate complaints made by parents.

And the kids at McKinley? They're still waiting for something to happen. Although their school has improved in the last few years, it's still in the lowest 10 percent of all California elementary schools. While parents and teachers duke it out, only a fraction of the kids at McKinley can read and write at grade level.

I guess it's just human nature, but it seems like any sort of "reform" focuses a lot more on the people in charge of making it than those who its supposed to benefit. Parents, teachers and students need to stand up and let their voices be heard. But before anyone speaks, we all should be asking ourselves, "Is what I'm doing helping our kids succeed?"

If not, it's not reform. It's just noise.

Photo credit: Compton city website

Megan Cottrell is a reporter and writer living in Chicago.
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