Carpenter
deserve?
Everybody knows these schools have been struggling for years, and these schools need to do much more in order to help students catch up, learn, and succeed. But doing more of the same thing isn't working and will never work.
Our goal is not to bash these schools, but we have to raise the alarm so the community can come together to help fix these challenges.
Nobody wants schools to be great more than us—the parents.
We'll do whatever we can
But because these five schools have been failing for years, we're not confident in how much change will come about without serious intervention from district leadership and school board involvement.
Parents understand that every school and situation is unique. The solutions for these schools may look different, but we expect to see a culture of change in all the Watchlist schools because we know the students aren't getting what they need.
In the meantime, we're going to tell parents about these failing schools and be looking out for other schools that consistently disappoints students and aren't getting the support they deserve.
It's time for us all to work together as a community to figure out strategies for these schools that will be in the best interest of our students.
Regardless of the school district and type, we are holding accountable any school that is not doing right by our students. Our children have no more time to wait and we are beyond ready for change!
Sarah Carpenter is a native Memphian and proud resident of the North Memphis community. She serves as Executive Director of The Memphis Lift, an organization with the mission to make the powerless parent powerful.