May 2011 - Jefferson County Public Schools

JCPS Low Performing Schools: A Hot Issue
By Eduardo Gutierrez
Edited by Mr. Arencibia
I am a senior at Central High School and I like to talk to some of my teachers about what is going
on in their lives, either in school or in their personal lives. Since last year almost all teachers seem really
concerned about the low performing schools in JCPS and what might happen to them if Central is
included in this “undesirable” group.
One of the English teachers told me that the school district is trying to do anything in reach to try
to solve the problem of low performing schools; they are even trying to hire someone from Maryland to
bring his experience to us, but in my humble opinion, this is a Kentucky problem and we have to solve it
ourselves. Not all school districts are similar in this country, and the causes of the low performance might
be very different as well.
I know this is a very difficult issue to solve and that the causes are varied and very different from
school to school. One thing is clear to me though, and it is that the low performance of some schools is not
limited to the role of the teachers and the administration; there are some other factors that need to be
taken into consideration. Administrators, teachers and staff are not to be blamed for the students’
failures. Education is a process that is comprised of many people and many factors, and when not
everyone pulls together, low performance is one of the consequences.
If we analyze the schools with lower academic achievement, we will see that the economic
background of the students enrolled in them is not very favorable, which has a direct impact on school
performance. In my opinion, the most important cause of the students’ low academic performance has to
do with the economic problems they have which affect their motivation and willingness to be in school.
Another problem that might be directly related with the one I mentioned above has to do with the
support the schools receive from the students’ family. Education is a multisided process and everyone has
to play the corresponding role. Many people think the teachers are the culprits of the downfall but, what
about the family support? Without the family involvement, the “education boat” may capsize any minute.
To conclude, I have to say that I admire all the teachers at Central because most of them are
mothers or fathers who have lots of problems to cope with, but when they come to school, they leave all
those problems behind and teach us good lessons and how to be good citizens. I would really hate to see
Central High School among the low performance schools in our district.
How to be a Bad Student
Eduardo Gutierrez
If you want to be a bad student, you have to do a lot of things. First, you have to be late to school at
least three out of five days a week, and do not do all those homework assignments that your teachers give
you at the end of each boring class. Never pay attention to the teachers, just take out your cell phone while
you are in class, wait until the teacher is not looking and start texting your friends in and out of school. If the
teacher happens to catch you while you are texting, just talk back louder or yell at her or him to let the
teacher know you are “the boss.” As soon as the teacher resumes his or her job at the front of the classroom,
keep on doing what you are doing and do not worry about anything.
You may also decide to sleep in class; just pretend you are reading a book or writing something and
sleep, but do not ever put your head down because the teacher may find out what you are doing. If you have
a test and do not know anything, just look at your neighbor’s answers; it is much easier to copy from a friend
than staying up late at nighttime to study. That is simply boring and useless!
If any of your teacher writes you up and sends you down to talk to the school principal, just impress
him or her. Talk loudly, talk back, do not look in his or her eyes, or simply do not listen to the principal;
promise you will behave properly from that day on and as soon as you leave the principal’s office, start
doing exactly the same thing you were doing when you were caught.
It might be a good idea to involve some of your closer friends and make them join the “Tough Boys
Brigade,” the more students who join, the more respect you will have from your classmates and teachers.
There will come a time when you will be the rulers of the whole school and will be considered heroes by the
rest of the students.