Letter to editor May 2000 (Unknown if published)

School Board Undercuts Standards

The School Board is considering a resolution against the Standards of Accreditation. Claiming to support standards, they seek to make the accountability meaningless. They state there should be no single indicator of achievement. That was not an issue with the single 6th grade literacy test requirement. Failure to complete any single one of the numerous course requirements will prevent graduation. There is not just one SOL indicator. There are six different exams and each exam can be taken multiple times.

The Board wishes to identify other data as measures of achievement. That already exists – try graduating after passing the SOLs, but failing all of your senior classes or not going to class your senior year. There are other requirements that must be met in order to graduate. I do not hear of anyone complaining about those.

The State Board is considering substituting the SOLs with stringent academic achievements such as AP exams that are well above the minimum achievement level of the SOLs. Their decision applies to state standards and should be uniform statewide.

This is an attempt to weaken a system that has already energized an unresponsive school system and improved education throughout Virginia. Imagine what it will do when it actually goes into effect in 2007. The parents and students of Fairfax County deserve to know if the schools are truly providing them with an adequate education.

Steve Hunt