On opening day, think big
School doors swing open this week, with Santa Fe Public Schools kicking off the 2017-18 school year. Actual start day might vary, depending on whether a student is a high school freshman, beginning kindergarten or attending traditional public school. But fall, and school, definitely are in the air.
For most of the district’s 13,000-plus students, today — Aug. 16, when swimsuits are pushed to the back of the drawer and polo shirts and khakis pulled out — marks the beginning. (Private and charter schools also are opening, but not all will be back in operation until September. The rolling out of the school year is a gradual operation.)
Drivers, be ready to slow down in school zones before and after school. Watch for children in the crosswalk or waiting for buses. Give yourself a few more minutes to make it to work, so there is no temptation to speed up a bit, despite the slower limits in school zones. Safety matters.
Teachers, students, staff and family, have a great year. Santa Fe’s public schools are loved, loathed and sometimes, even ignored, whether by parents or community members. Schools too often are judged, held accountable for all the ills of society and measured with tests, evaluations and a neverending stream of data seemingly focused on what is wrong instead of what works.
On the first day of school, though, standardized tests are months away. The slate is fresh, with every student a potential success and all teachers heroes in their classrooms. The challenge of the school year, of course, is to fulfill the promise not just on the first day, but on every day that follows.
Those of us in the community are welcome to help out, too. Instead of simply complaining about schools, criticizing teachers or lashing out at administrators, citizens can be partners in helping children succeed. Many already are, working through various nonprofits and assisting in a classroom or donating money to educational causes.
It can be confusing to find the right place to volunteer. To help out, different organizations and the public schools are holding The Opportunity Santa Fe Volunteer Fair on Saturday. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sweeney Elementary, in the Auxiliary Gym, interested members of the community can find ways to assist. The school is at 501 Airport Road, on the south side, where the bulk of the city’s children live — a smart location for the fair. To increase the lure, free food and door prizes will be offered.
For everyone who has thought, “I should help out,” the fair offers a one-stop shop to find a place to make a difference.
We have all heard complaints about New Mexico’s lagging public schools. Test scores and graduation rates do not reflect the brainpower and creativity of our students or the hard work of classroom teachers and parents. At times, improvement seems hopeless.
But progress — solid, incremental growth — is taking place. Superintendent Veronica García believes the steady improvement will mean sustained improvement. Over three years, the percentage of public school students proficient on PARCC — Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers — standardized tests increased by 1.5 percent on the English Language Arts portion and 2.7 percent in mathematics. That brought Santa Fe students to 28.3 percent at proficiency in English Language Arts and 16.5 percent at proficiency in mathematics. Obviously, that’s not where Santa Fe wants to stay, but scores are going in the right direction.
Today, on the first day of school for many, the promise of the year stretches ahead. Anything is possible. Now, the challenge is: Let’s keep it that way.