These Numbers Are Sobering, But They Make the Case for High Standards

Perpetual Baffour discusses why urban districts and cities such as Atlanta are confronting a public education crisis.

Success stories often make for good newspaper articles, and the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta has recently received national attention for its transformative culture of energetic passion and high standards. The highly acclaimed middle school has been particularly successful in boosting achievement for its own students. “Clark sets the bar high and holds his kids accountable,” argued one CBS News reporter.

But unfortunately, the same cannot be said for all public schools across Atlanta. In fact, only about 1 out of every 5 eighth-graders in Atlanta is proficient in math, according to a recent report my colleagues and I released.

The above excerpt was originally published in Education Post. Click here to view the full article.

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