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Opinion: Editorial

Measuring progress

Monday, March 24, 2008 12:57 PM EDT

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In a week filled with news stories, we need to take a minute to acknowledge a visit from the U.S. Secretary of Education and to salute the Mason County School system for a decade of remarkable progress.

That progress can be measured in dozens of ways including CATS testing scores, enrollment increases, a drop in disciplinary incidents and an overall sense that this school district is not only performing well when compared to other Kentucky school systems, it is receiving justifiable national recognition for its efforts.

The arrival of Margaret Spellings and her staff at the intermediate school Wednesday morning was a watershed moment. Spellings had received word of the district's success through U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis and from others in the state who recognized that something very special was going on in this corner of Kentucky.

In a school district that posts an enrollment of 3,000 students, more than 60 percent qualify for free or reduced priced lunches and almost 17 percent live at or below the poverty level. Administrators report that there has been an increase of 30 percent in the number of students who live in a single-parent home with a household income below the poverty line.

In other places, those statistics would be an excuse for failure. In Mason County, they are simply the cards that were dealt.

In 1996, the district was ranked 126th out of 176 districts in the state on assessment tests. In just eight short years, the system ranked 18th of 176, and has maintained a ranking in the top ten percent of districts since. Mason County received the CATS Progress Award in 2004, from the Kentucky School Board Association, was recognized by Standard and Poor as one of 18 districts in Kentucky designated as an Academic Outperformer, and has met all goals established by the No Child Left Behind legislation.

Those accomplishments were on the agenda when the Secretary of Education walked into the cafeteria at the Intermediate School on Wednesday, but much of her time was spent quizzing local educators on the way the school builds relationships with its students and their families. Home visits, 4-year home room assignments and teacher collaboration were cited as the foundation for the effort and the secretary took note of the enthusiasm on the part of students, teachers, administrators and parents who have utilized the system and benefited from it.

But something very special happened after the secretary completed her visit. Dozens of people -- those same students, school officials, parents and community leaders -- stayed on to discuss how this school district takes the next step forward in creating a truly outstanding learning experience for its kids. Pleased with its success, but not satisfied with the status quo was the phrase repeated over and over as ideas for improvements were offered and information was exchanged.

John Stanton, an aid to Congressman Geoff Davis said he loves to come to Maysville for lots of reasons. But one of the main reasons is because Maysville, unlike many areas, seems to sense that its best days are not in the past, but in the future. He said we honor and celebrate our past, but we don't live in it.

We think he's right about our community and especially about our school system. We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of students teachers and administrators over the last 10 years, but we are confident that even better days are yet to come.

Wednesday's meeting was not the end of a great era in progress for the schools, it was the beginning of a new era that promises even greater success.

Reader Comments

Comments are limited to 200 words or less.

mc teacher wrote on May 6, 2008 9:14 PM:

" why weren't more mason county teachers invited to this event...only those hand picked few were even allowed to take part "

Jim wrote on Apr 2, 2008 10:49 AM:

" So if things are so great why can't students read or write or do 12th grade math when they come to the college? "

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