Closing the Neighborhood School

… your child’s teachers are “nice” and “funny” and “welcoming”…

… you believe your property values will decrease…

… you believe people might lose their jobs…

… you believe it is racism to close a school where so many minorities attend…

THEN you are mistaken.

IF you believe your local neighborhood school should be spared because…

… it is operating at or near capacity…

… it is providing top quality education…

… the teachers are well-trained, professional, and dedicated…

… the students are performing at or above proficient on standardized tests…

… special education programs and other resources are provided for students needing additional assistance…

… at your request, the school is able to provide you with a detailed, comprehensive curriculum that demonstrates consistency across grade levels and from teacher to teacher…

THEN you are correct.

When the school districts are faced with decreasing budgets and the tough decisions about closing schools, they should not consider your property value, your child’s social life, your child’s ability to walk two blocks to school, or your child’s race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. They should, however, consider closing schools that are underperforming and underutilized.

I’m a mom. I can empathize with the sentiment and emotionality of having your child’s school at risk of closing and the resulting upheaval of such a closure. I don’t want to see more people losing jobs or property values declining. I can understand the anger directed at school districts that have not managed funds well enough to avoid this debacle. I realize that redistributed boundaries and reconfigured grade levels have contributed to the problem of underutilized schools. It’s all a very unfortunate situation and I am not heartless, callous, cruel, or insensitive. However, if a school is enormously undercapacity, and is losing students to School of Choice as families seek out a better education elsewhere, then it should be considered for closure. Most importantly, if a school is not living up to a certain level of academic achievement, or at least demonstrating considerable improvement in academic achievement, then it should be considered for closure.

So, my plea to all the protesting, picketing parents is this:  Ask yourself if your child’s school is truly an ‘exceptional’ school, and not simply a ‘good enough’ or ‘mediocre’ school. Are you chanting and shouting to save a phenomenal school, or simply because you like your child’s teacher, your child’s friends, and your proximity to the school?