I thank Barbara Kent Lawrence, Ed.D for her recent Letter to the Editor. We are both concerned about the dismal performance of Five Towns CSD and SAD 28. As we agree, only 42% of our eleventh graders met the PSAT standards for math and this has been the pattern for many years. The English and writing benchmark performances on the PSATs are declining. Looking at the younger students, the NWEA assessment for 2021-2022 shows that 51% of our students are well below or below expectations for science. 

Her own research found that “school consolidation, reliance on testing, and the lack of opportunity for students to be active and accountable participants in their communities were primary causes…” of poor academic performance. 

How could reliance on testing account for poor test performances? 

Have we had any recent school consolidation?  Is that conclusion relevant to us?

What does, “active and accountable participants in their communities” have to do with dismal math, English and science performances?

Picking up trash in a park is a wonderful, active, civic exercise but will it help our students understand identify functions in trigonometry? Is her point that our school system is telling our students that they are doing well and mastering the subject matter, when really, they are not?  Anyone say “Grade Inflation”? That’s on the school leadership rather than on the kids or parents. 

As a former full professor at two medical schools with three educator of the year awards, I can testify that students learn differently. Even dealing with the most dedicated professionals who have passed medical school, endless standardized testing and been rigorously selected for advanced training, there are some physicians who learn best by hearing, some by reading, others by doing. Education is a partnership but perhaps it is the educators’ job to set the standards and to deliver the instruction in a way that reaches the student. 

As we agree, despite a great deal of money, and good intentions the academic results of Five Town CSD and SAD 28 have been suboptimal, and are getting worse. The available evidence suggests that projects at the Hatchery, field trips, independent study, et al are not effective for helping the majority of our students meet academic standards. Meeting and exceeding academic standards gives our students options and skills that we all wish them to have. 

Our need is for our educators to appreciate the challenges and address them. Dr. Lawrence informed us that the word education means to lead out. The direction our leadership is taking us is not out, but down.  Focus on academics and decrease distractions. The sooner we begin, the sooner we can change direction.

Jonathan J. Beitler lives in Camden