School Improvement Essay

Improving a School

Hope springs eternal, or so the old maxim goes -- but is there hope for a middle school in New Jersey that lags behind expected standards and shows only vague signs of being able to lift itself up out of the morass of failure?

Indeed, what is to be done for the students and the community their families live in when their public school is a violent place where chaos rules? What is the solution for a public middle school when student achievement is below acceptable levels and when the school is actually unsafe? And further, what is the solution for a school -- Grace Dunn Middle School in Trenton, New Jersey -- that is poorly maintained and there is a near-constant turnover of teachers?

These are some of the issues that face Grace Dunn Middle School. There are several more important issues that must be addressed before Dunn Middle School can be brought up to standards that are expected of public schools in New Jersey. Among those issues is the fact that there is a great deal of pressure on the Dunn Middle School administration to simply pass underachieving students for the sake of moving them on and out of the school. This is unconscionable on the part of the administration, and moreover it is abhorrent to the basic concept of helping young people learn and grow in a positive environment.

The New Jersey School Performance report indicates that Dunn Middle School "…significantly lags in comparison to schools across the state" vis-a-vis scholarship and academic performance (www.state.nj.us). Dunn Middle School does not meet state standards when it comes to getting students ready for a career, or for higher education. Isn't getting young people ready for the rest of their lives -- isn't the real purpose of a public school -- to prepare children for their future, no matter whether it is to be working in a factory, selling used cars, or as a computer technician for IBM?

As a Principal Candidate -- What are my passions and goals?

It is all well and good to have assessments and to collect data and analyze the data juxtaposed with data from other middle schools. And it is right and proper to ask the board of education for resources that are needed -- especially given that this is an aging school facility and unfortunately it reflects the run-down, dismal environment in the community.

But more than that, teachers and administrators and counselors must actually believe that change is possible. The decision to hire me must be based not only on my successful career in education, and on my degrees and the special praise I have received in my many letters of recommendation. It must be based on my enthusiasm for children, no matter what ethnic or socioeconomic situation they hail from. It must be based on my belief that schools can be turned around.

I have had a history of advocacy for children, for families, and for schools. Part of my experience includes the ability to get diverse members of the community to come together and get behind positive goals. I am not a firebrand speaker, but I do have public speaking skills that have enabled me to motivate people. I intend to go to the churches in this community and ask the pastors and priests for a chance to address their congregations. I intend to visit the service clubs in this community and speak to the needs of our children and ask for their support for fundraising and other projects.

Moreover, should I be hired as principal of Grace Dunn School, I intend to be on a mission of change and hope, a mission that will have a beginning but no end. Until every child in our school is learning, is safe, and sees the future as a bright light rather than a dim flicker of light -- and until every parent is actively involved in their child's education -- I will not rest.

Conclusion

There is a serious crisis in education in America when it comes to bridging the gap between the top students and those who struggle. And it isn't just about minorities vs. Caucasian students, or between the haves and the have-nots. It is about teachers and administrators following guidelines that will lead to a better future for children. American schools have of late depended…