Reply #68: It CAN be done in a year!!! [View All]

[dballance]

My former partner was the principal at the poverty K-6 school at the bottom of his district. The students had over 70% free and reduced lunches. Some got breakfast as well. If you don't understand what that statistic means it means these kids are DIRT POOR. If there is a mom and dad in the home they don't have time to sit down and read with the kids. In fact, most of the homes probably don't even have books - maybe a Bible but that's not what I'd use to teach reading.

The school got a grant to help them improve reading. They took action and hired reading coaches. They tested all the kids and implemented "walk to reading" which is where the kids leave their normal classroom and go to reading in another class with kids who are on the same reading level.

Their scores went from most kids failing to read at their grade level to most kids reading at their grade level within a YEAR. Now they're working on math skills by adding math coaches and programs.

It can be done when the teachers and the staff are there because it's their passion and not because it's a cushy $125,000/yr job.