The Wisdom of Betty Arnold

Wichita School Board Member Betty Arnold should be saluted for her clear statement on what she sees as a lack of clear goals in the evaluation process of a former assistant principal.

Board member Betty Arnold said her main concern was what she saw as "a lack of objective, measurable goals" in the evaluation process.

"You need to have goals in place that you can quantify, that are not subjective," she said. "That did not seem to be the case here, and that's a problem."

It sounds like Betty "gets it". To measure success, there must be some clearly defined goal, and a way to measure progress towards that goal.

For instance, a goal for the district could be something like "reduce the drop out rate from 24% to 10% within the next five years," or "improve the pass rate of 10th grade students on state math tests from 42% to 60% by 2012."

Let's take a peek at the USD 259 Strategic Plan:

1. We will deliver an aligned curriculum based on challenging standards, measure achievement, and ensure all students meet the standards.

2.We will recruit, develop, support and retain a high-quality, diverse teaching, administrative and support staff to improve staff performance and enhance student achievement.

3. We will provide educational programs from pre-kindergarten through post-secondary that promote life-long learning to enhance the quality of life for all students.

4. We will have safe, positive, disciplined and drug-free schools.

5. We will build and maintain strong relationships with parents, families, the community and businesses.

6. We will develop, implement and maintain a scheduled plan to upgrade district technology.

7. We will design and implement a plan that lifts the burden of desegregation from any one segment of our community, and removes the effects of racial isolation, and increases programs of choice.

8. We will upgrade and maintain district facilities to support and enhance student achievement.

9. We will ensure sound financial stewardship throughout the system.

10. District leadership will continuously evaluate the performance of the district in reaching district goals.

Well, Betty...how do you thing the board is doing on meeting those goals?