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Literacy coach Crystal Perry went to bat Tuesday night for heterogeneous mixing of students in the Stamford Public Schools . She told the Board of Education she walks the halls of Dolan Middle School and sees students achieving at a high level and realizing they all have talents that add to the classroom. They are not grouped by test scores, but mixed together, Perry said, which benefits all.
When we have a system where outcome is based on zip code, that is not okay, Perry said angrily. She added that she was put in a lower group as a student in Stamford Public Schools and not told about applying for college by her guidance counselor. While she overcame it, Perry said she was an exception.
I was cheated by the Stamford Public School system, Perry said, I was denied a quality education.
Perry and other teachers, administrators and staff members from Cloonan, Rippowam, Turn of River and Dolan were at the meeting to discuss the Middle School Transformation. All expressed feelings similar to Perrys and wanted heterogeneous mixing to continue.
We need to see this through, Turn of River language arts teacher Caitlen Sheeran said Tuesday night.
The transformation was started in 2009 to prevent de facto segregation and to give every child the same education. In 2006, only 11 percent of honor students were black or Latino. This year, 31 percent are black or Latino, Superintendent Dr. Joshua Starr said. Standardized test scores have consistently stayed the same or gone up for middle school students since the transformation began, Starr said.
The board did not make a decision on whether or not to continue heterogeneous mixing. Board members said they want to continue to review the results of grouping students this way.
What do you think of tracking students and grouping them heterogeneously? Share your opinions and experiences below or email them to reporter Anthony Buzzeo at tbuzzeo@mainstreetconnect.us.
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