Teacher Moment

So I'm going to bore you with a teacher moment. We found out yesterday that our school didn't get a grant that we applied for. It's a bummer because it allows for some extra staffing to get to our lower students that need more one on one time. It also provided for full day kindergarten which our school needs because there is NO daycare out there. And it funded a program called GLAD which helps students acquire high academic vocabulary and scaffolds for the ESL students.

So we didn't get the grant. But that's not what peeves me. There is a school in the district that is title one. That means that they get a whole bunch of money. (I'm giving you the short version of the story and trying not to bore you with teacher stuff) Many people think schools have too much money or they wonder what schools could possibly spend money on. Well the school I am talking about had all of this funding PLUS some grant money two years ago. This school went from not making AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress as required by no child left behind) to not only making it, but being high acheiving. How great!! Here's the catch...this same school LOST all of the funding the next year. They were high acheiving so obviously they didn't need the money. They lost all of the support staff that helped with the one on one teaching for low students. And guess what...this year (well the year we just finished) they didn't make AYP!! Are you seeing the correlation here...if you give the schools money or the funding they need for the extra staffing they can meet the goal...when our classrooms are over cap and those three low kids need that extra help, they aren't getting it as much as they need. Extra staff helps with that...but no...don't give the schools money. Then wonder why they dont' all meet AYP.