K-PREP scores were released to the public today, and teachers, administrators, and parents across the state are combing through the data to see how their local schools and districts performed. One thing we’ve learned so far is that achievement gaps are still persistent and that overall scores are still flat.
So how well is Kentucky taking that? So far, reactions have been very, very mixed.
Interim Commissioner Wayne Lewis called it “a daunting moment of truth” for Kentucky’s schools. The target of many pro-union and anti-charter teachers, Lewis doubled down on his focus of school improvement. “Instead of being discouraged, this is a call to action for schools, districts, educators, parents, students, and community and business leaders,” he said in a statement. “We must take bold and immediate action for the benefit of our students.”
But not everyone sees eye-to-eye with the Interim Commissioner.
Teachers and advocates have taken to social media to strike back. In an op-ed released earlier today in the Herald-Leader, Tom Eblen argues that if we want better test scores, we should support teachers instead of fighting them. His comments echo a familiar refrain: many pro-union Kentucky teachers view Lewis as Gov. Matt Bevin’s ally in “the war on public education.”
Regardless, the data still paint a less-than-pretty picture for Kentucky’s schools, and Lewis says that it’s time to act.
“This is not about shaming schools, leaders or teachers,” said Lewis. “But these schools can neither continue doing what they have always done, nor make only minor adjustments.”
You can get more information about your local school’s performance from the report released earlier today. Where do we go from here?
Photo from Slam Dunk Kentucky.