Aug. 14, 2007 — For years we have talked about the need to improve the territory’s education system. Many of our most dedicated teachers, principals and administrators have been loudest among the voices calling for change. The business community has lamented the educational “gaps” of employees who are products of our territory’s school system. Legislators have publicly chastised Department of Education and Board of Education officials for failing to meet our students’ needs. Recently Alvarez and Marsal, the third-party fiduciary managing our Department of Education’s funds, testified on the areas of dysfunction in the Department that led to the territory’s losing tens of millions of dollars in education grants.
Given the crucial importance of improving education outcomes for our children in the territory, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands is enthusiastic about the appointment of Lynn Spampinato as the territory’s next Commissioner of Education. As a nationally recognized champion of public education, with experience in school reform and increasing proficiency levels of students in public schools, Spampinato can bring the tools of school reform to the USVI. Now it is up to us – ALL of us – to get behind Dr. Spampinato and see that the necessary changes occur.
In December 2000, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) released the first USVI KIDS COUNT Data Book to the community. This annual report provides information on child well-being in the US Virgin Islands. The purpose of KIDS COUNT is to promote community response and action to improve the health, education and safety of Virgin Islands’ children and youth. The report is a collaborative effort of CFVI with the University of the Virgin Islands and the USVI Departments of Health, Education, Human Services and Public Safety.
In seven years of USVI KIDS COUNT reports, we have documented the many ways that we, as a community, are failing our children. In our most recent KIDS COUNT 2006 Data Book, we reported indicators of the state of public education in the US Virgin Islands, which are cause for grave concern. Currently, only 30 percent of 5th graders, less than 18 percent of 7th graders, and 22.5 percent of 11th graders in the VI public schools demonstrate academic reading performance that meets grade level expectations. Similarly, only 32 percent of the 5th graders, 30 percent of 7th graders, and 37 percent of 11th graders in the VI public schools demonstrate academic math performance at grade level expectations.
For the last year measured through the Department of Education’s own assessment, only five of thirteen elementary schools in St. Thomas/St. John met targets for VI Territorial Assessment of Learning (VITAL) Annual Yearly Progress (AYP). Only four of ten elementary schools on St. Croix met AYP targets. One of three junior high schools in St. Thomas/St. John met AYP targets, while none of the four St. Croix junior high schools met targets. Of the high schools on St. Thomas and St. Croix, none of the four met AYP targets.
A measure of relative failure or success of secondary schools is their record of retaining and motivating students to complete their studies and graduate. Figures in the KIDS COUNT 2006 Data Book show that the USVI dropout rate for teens (age 16-19) is 10.5 percent for the last year measured. The numbers are too high – and so are the sacrifices youth make when they leave school early.
At the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands we pledge to work to bring all available resources to the effort of school reform. We embrace this opportunity to come together as a community for the benefit of our children… to prove to our children and to ourselves that we truly believe that “children are our future.” And we welcome Dr. Spampinato to the Virgin Islands and offer her our support in the important role she will play in the future of our children.
Our community will need everybodyworking together to strengthen the quality of education provided to all our children and youth. We will need our elected officials, business leaders, the faith community, our educators, and our parents. Change is never easy, but we can’t afford to not change. Our future is at stake.
Editors note:We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
