Five Buffalo Schools have been taken off of the SURR list (Schools Under Registration Review) by the New York State Education Department, according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. James A.Williams. Those removed from the list are as follows:
BEST School #6
Harvey Austin School (formerly Poplar Academy #11)
Futures Academy #37
Herman Badillo Bilingual Academy #76
West Hertel Elementary School #94
These schools have met their State assigned academic achievement targets, and Dr. Williams credits the hard work of school staff, central office staff and students for the improvement demonstrated at these schools. This brings the number of schools removed from this State watch list to 12 over the past three years.
Dr. Williams also credits the success of the Academic Achievement Plan, a three-year program implemented by the District in 2005. The plan includes clear academic goals and a rigorous implementation of research-based programs in all Buffalo Schools. Teachers have been trained in the programs and are provided with classroom coaching support.
In addition, these 12 schools are all part of the plan developed by the District and the Buffalo Teachers Federation under the New York State Contract For Excellence that includes an extra hour of instruction each day, smaller class sizes, additional teacher professional development, and 20 extra full days for students each summer. These schools are all under the direct leadership of Community Superintendent Frances Wilson.
Still, Superintendent Williams cautions that while these schools should be applauded for the growth they have shown and the effort that went into meeting the State academic targets, he is not yet satisfied with District-wide achievement levels.
Dr. Williams says, "Although we are moving in the right direction, we will not be satisfied until all of our students are prepared to graduate from high school in four years and move on to college or a post-secondary school career. That is our ultimate goal."
The District plans to continue implementation of the Academic Achievement Plan and structural changes similar to those in place under the Contract For Excellence, for the schools recently designated as "persistently low achieving", a newly developed New York State accountability designation. See more about those schools in this Buffalo News article.
Image: Newly renovated Herman Badillo from the Kideney Architecture site.
Maybe, with the steady improvements in the last 3 years in Buffalo's challenged schools, it is time to get off the backs of the teachers, their much maligned UNION , and all that areconsidered to be part of the mission. That includes families. These changes are huge and measurable and serve as concrete evidence of a reversal of decline.
BTW, other than as a former student in the system, I am not affiliated with the district in any way including even through marriage or family.
Cheers for their collective efforts! Especially considering these accomplishments in years of declining revenues and resources.
They have met the bare minimum standards, it is hardly time to get off their backs or relieve any pressure at all. Buffalo Schools have a long way to go before they are even close to where they need to be, the only consolation in all of this is that they are finally trending in the right direction.
We still have a lot of work to do at the community level, the local school level, the district administration level, and with the teacher's union. They all need to work together if we expect any major leaps in school performance.
This is a start, but there is still a long way to go.