LOCAL LIVING District
17
DC
FAMILY/SCHOOLS
class struggle
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JAY MATHEWS
Perspective is needed on school budget-cut fears
ou saw the big small changes.
Y
headline on the front Stories about rising or falling
of our Metro section state test scores in these
recently: “Deep budget jurisdictions are more
cuts approved for important in my view, but we
Prince George’s schools.” The often don’t give them much
news from Northern Virginia attention because the one-year
was much the same: “Fairfax changes are often small and
County schools chief proposes inconclusive. If our stories
dramatic budget cuts” and instead focused on three- or
“Proposed Arlington schools four-year ups or downs, we
budget cuts back in many areas.” would be saying more about
I have been reading stories teaching and learning, but that
like this in the Post for nearly 40 would not be fulfilling our
years. They have become a promise of giving the latest
ritual. We think that readers news.
want to know what is being What most influences
done with their tax dollars in learning at school is not budget
their local jurisdictions’ most changes but the quality of
important government service, principals and teachers. We
education, and how much more don’t know how to measure that
they might have to pay next year. well on an annual basis. Perhaps
All that is fine. I just wish the we would be better off revealing
stories did not convey such a the best and worse examples of
strong impression of telling us change in individual schools,
how schoolchildren are doing, where the most important work
or will be doing, because the in education occurs.
stories give few or no clues to In Prince George’s, for
that important matter. instance, Largo and Surrattsville
There does not appear to be high schools showed significant
any significant correlation gains in college-level test
between annual changes in the participation last year and some
amount of the school budget increase in the percentage of
and annual changes in student students passing those tests. At
achievement, but readers still South Lakes High in Fairfax, the
get upset. My colleague college-level test participation
THE W
columnist Petula Dvorak rate rose an impressive
reported that one Fairfax parent 53 percent in one year, with the
proclaimed, “If this happens, percentage of seniors passing
ASHINGTON POST
we’ll be just like the other school
LINDA HELTON FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
the tests also going up. The
districts.” same factors increased strongly
In a blog post several weeks
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at Washington-Lee High in
ago, I called this “the most Arlington.
exaggerated quote of the
month.” I noted that in my
“If this happens, we’ll be just like the other school
My editors aren’t going to give
much space to such granular
annual Challenge Index rating of
local high schools, Fairfax had
districts.”
reporting. They think readers
want the big picture. Given the
an average college-course test — A FAIRFAX COUNTY PARENT, expressing fears about proposed budget cuts. way my scolding of Fairfax
•
participation rate of 2.917 per parents was received, they are
THURSD
graduating senior, about six probably right.
times the national average. “Its But I think we ought to take
average SAT scores are about Many readers took offense at This year, as in previous Fairfax. Other districts are comfort in the fact that these
A
300 points above the national my dismissal of their fears. “I am difficult budget years, school making similar adjustments. budget reversals have never, in Y
average,” I said. “Its college truly sick of your sanctimonious boards are saving money by Our stories rarely point out the four decades I have been
,
MARCH
going rates are similarly in the attitude,” said one. Another said, raising class size, about two (because it would be taking watching them, had much
stratosphere. None of that is “This is Fairfax, yes we may be students per class in Prince sides in the political battles over impact on what is happening to
going to change, despite the spoiled, but gosh darn it our George’s County and about one the budget) that research shows our kids. That is up to their
budget cuts.” kids deserve it.” per class in Arlington County and no significant impact from such teachers, and us.
11,
20
10
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