APS Reform Efforts Working

The Journal editorial board seems inconsistent when it comes to public education reform.

Usually, the newspaper complains long and loudly that Albuquerque Public Schools doesn’t do enough to promote education reform. But when that dull, old saw doesn’t cut, it finds a new complaint, one apparently centered on this premise: Ground-breaking reforms at Rio Grande High School and Ernie Pyle Middle School don’t work fast enough, or worse, don’t work at all.

Ordinarily, I’d simply dismiss the Journal’s reflexive negativity as the price of doing business in Albuquerque, but its most recent screed does a disservice to the children, teachers and administrators at Rio Grande and Ernie Pyle. Their hard work is showing good results. While it’s absolutely true that reform doesn’t create sparkly, wonderful numbers overnight, it does change culture. And culture, over time, improves results.

What APS did at Rio Grande and Ernie Pyle — schools that have underperformed for decades — was revolutionary. By changing the structure of operation in those schools — including collaboration, administration, and yes, pay — we went about reform never before attempted in New Mexico.

Does this cost more? You bet. Is it “throwing money” at the problem? Absolutely not. Every reform we’re attempting is targeted toward improving student achievement in a far more strategic approach, with collaboration on a variety of fronts as its centerpiece.

That’s something the Journal and APS critics have long complained we weren’t doing.

In executing this reform, we created an alliance that includes the district, community, unions, teachers, parents, even business. Arrows are moving up, not down. And while we cannot microwave massive improvements in a short span of time, the staffs at Rio Grande and Ernie Pyle have created an energy that in the long run will do wonders for the students at those schools.

The Journal laments Rio Grande’s graduation rate of 52 percent, a number that’s nowhere near good enough for anyone. I would note, however, that this number was a two and a half percent increase over the previous year, despite state-mandated changes in graduation-rate calculations that should have pushed that figure lower. And I’ll wager the numbers at Rio will continue to improve.

There are other positive signs of success. Discipline referrals are down. More than 75 percent of the students who attended at least three tutoring sessions passed the high school exit exam. In the fall of 2012, a growing number of sophomores scored proficient and nearing proficient in both reading and math.

We still have a lot of work to do. No matter the reform, no matter the politics, real and consistent improvement takes time and support. Sometimes, it’s three years. Sometimes, it’s five. In dealing with hundreds and thousands of human beings, the key point is constant, diligent progression.

There have been problems, and those are my responsibility. At Rio Grande, we had six principals in four years, which complicated the reform effort. We also had a near-catastrophic scheduling mess there two years ago, one that was stemmed by the incredible work of former APS Chief Academic Officer (and interim Rio Grande Principal) Linda Sink and a staff that went above and beyond the call of duty in order to help kids deal with a problem not of their making.

If nothing else, you should know this about the reforms at these schools: We’re all in — strategy, money, commitment. It’s too bad the Journal and reflexive APS critics can’t say the same.

That said, I do not deny that others’ ideas can be helpful, and perhaps, speed the improvement at Ernie Pyle and Rio Grande. That’s why we collaborate with those school communities, and others. Could we begin reforms at earlier ages? Absolutely. Working on early intervention reading programs, even before children get to school, would make everyone’s job easier.

We can’t do it alone. We need students and parents to take advantage of services we provide, such as one-on-one tutoring. We’re offering the programs; we need them to come.

I’ve always contended that instituting reforms at middle and high school are only one piece of a very difficult puzzle. But to imply that these reforms are not working, or are a poor use of the public’s money, is simply fantasy.