Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 2-9-16

Local
Letter To The Editor:
School Grades: Only One Part Of The Whole Picture
Join BK Jackson In Concert On Valentine’s Day
BK JACKSON ...Valentine’s Day Concert
What do school grades really mean this year? It’s a question I’ve been asked whenever I meet parents, employees, and attend community events.
The way the state is cal- culating school grades for the 2014-2015 school year only, is very different than it has been in years past, or will be in future years. The state has always touted their accountability system as a system with in- tegrity that has kept a bal- ance between student proficiency and student growth. However, that is not the case for the 2014- 2015 grading system.
The school grading sys- tem has always incorpo- rated high levels of student proficiency as well as rewarding high levels of student growth. In the fu- ture, both student profi- ciency and growth will be included in grade calcula- tions. For this year only, student growth is not a part of grade calculations.
Accounting for student growth is a vital compo- nent in the school grade calculation. It levels the
accountability playing field for schools by allow- ing them to not only show how many students are on or above grade level profi- ciency, but it allows schools to show how many students they have sup- ported to make at least a year’s worth of academic growth.
At many high need schools, teachers work diligently to accelerate learning and help students who may arrive at their classroom door two to three years behind grade level.
These dedicated teach- ers are able to help their students make tremen- dous learning gains in one year. For 2014-2015 these learning gains will be omitted from the grading system, therefore negating the incredible work of teachers and the progress made by students in our schools.
Since the learning gains will not be used this year, we know the grades that will be released are not a complete picture of our schools’ successes. For
this reason, I encourage you to speak to your school principal about the gains that are happening at your school.
Based on our projec- tions, we are expecting lower grades in our ele- mentary schools. Interest- ingly, these are the schools where we see the greatest annual learning gains which is why it’s so impor- tant that the learning gains are included when calculating school grades.
We are proud of the suc- cesses shown by our stu- dents and the remarkable work by our teachers and staff in our schools. Our teachers, leaders, and sup- port staff know that there is much more work to do to ensure success for our students as we prepare them for life. So when grades are released this week that will be our focus and part of our Strategic Plan.
JEFF EAKINS Superintendent, Hillsborough County Public Schools
Celebrate Sunday, February 14 (Valentine’s Day) with an intimate concert by BK Jack- son and a three-course au- thentic New Orleans style menu by TACE Lounge New Orleans Cuisine & Jazz.
The establishment is located at 14380 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, 33618.
Doors open for dinner at 4 PM, with the concert set to kick off at 5 PM.
Pre-paid reservations are required for this event and will be taken on a first come, first serve basis. Reserve your spot today.
Jackson, Tampa native, Blake High and FAMU gradu- ate, is currently in Mexico to perform with Troy “Trom- bone Shorty” Andrews and Orleans Avenue for Tampa’s Zac Brown Band event.
School District Proposes Land Swap Deal With Housing Authority
JOE ROBINSON West Tampa C.A.C. Chair
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Hillsborough School District Superintendent, Jeff Eakins, has released a statement re- garding a land exchange be- tween the School Board of Hillsborough County and the Tampa Housing Authority (THA) for the proposed West River Project.
The Tampa Housing Author- ity has proposed a redevelop- ment of North Boulevard Homes along with additional lands in the immediate area. The proposed West River Proj- ect surrounds Just Elementary and Stewart Middle Schools, west of North Boulevard along the Hillsborough River, and would impact 14.7 acres of School District land adjacent to the waterfront.
THA would exchange 9.56 acres of land south of Spruce Street and reconstruct the dis- trict’s baseball and softball fields and track on the THA ex- change land.
THA will be responsible for the costs of the due diligence testing on the sites, appraisals, up to $15,000 for School Dis- trict legal fees, surveys, and real estate closing costs.
West Tampa Community Advisory Committee Chair, Joe Robinson, said he thinks
JEFF EAKINS School District Superintendent
this agreement is a good thing. “This shows that the School District and THA are talking. This a start to make sure the Housing Authority has access to the river. The swap will in- volve the demolition of prop- erty on Main Street and North Boulevard and the baseball field to the east of Stewart Middle School. This will create a workable development for
THA.”
Robinson said he believes
the two agencies are working together to help the residents of West Tampa.
“We also don’t want the old schools to be a part of the new development plans. I think a consolidated campus of Dun- bar, Just, and Stewart would be great. It would open up an entire square block for redevel- opment. It would also create a new modern, up-to-date edu- cational institution.
“It also may be a better thing for the students to attend a consolidated campus. The at- tendance at those schools is al- ready being impacted by the proposed redevelopment. Say- ing the schools are over- crowded gives credence to smaller classrooms. The Hous- ing Authority already has a lo- cation where the schools could be located.”
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL-BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016