IS EVSC still a Unified System?

By Ann Ennis, candidate for EVSC School Board

As I was coming up in the EVSC, and as our children were attending EVSC schools, I was told at home and I told our children, that the unity of the EVSC assured equal funds for each school, that access to programming and curriculum was equal, that the schools were teaching the same courses to all students and that staff was treated equitably across the system.

Maybe it was true then.  Maybe it was an illusion.

Today, I have witnessed and researched sad unevenness in educational access.  Schedules, curriculum, teacher duties are not the same from school to school.  By state mandate, the EVSC bows to the standardized test.  If students and teachers cannot get their school a good school grade, or if they are not able to get the entire third grade a passing ISTEP math group score, then that school loses access to the best in science or social studies as compared to EVSC state-rated A and B schools. This is a state-created problem, but the EVSC is not fighting for a STEM for all students.

Let that soak in: EVSC’s failing schools do not have the same access to science, language arts (formerly called English class!)  or social studies curricula as passing schools.  Time spent on subjects not tested is reduced.  #askateacher.  These students are at a tremendous disadvantage in career development.  

My position is that:

1. The EVSC should rally our community to ask the General Assembly to adapt so standardized test scores are student-by-student, not class.  Assess student progress, not class progress. A duty of school boards is to promote the interests of public education in all ways.
2. The EVSC must re-examine methods of equal access to STEM and global experiences among all schools and grades.  Time to learn science and funding for supplies must provide equally across the system.  A duty of school boards is to guide policy.
3. The EVSC must demand the General Assembly address teacher-flight and provide ample trained, licensed STEM teachers (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The state has contributed to a massive turnover of teachers, now it must do what is necessary to secure licensed, quality STEM educators for all classrooms in the EVSC.  

Footnote: Ann Ennis is a candidate for EVSC school board.  She has volunteered extensively in local schools since 2009 and has been a substitute teacher. She assists (since 2014) with Glenwood Leadership Academy Middle School Speech Team.

This article was published by the City-County Observer as  a “Letter To the Editor.”  We will publish other letters sent to us by any candidate that sends us one without opinion, bias or editing.