Bennett silent on dramatic graduation gains

A letter to the editor at the IndyStar points to the troubling evidence that more is going on with Supt. Bennett/Mitch Daniels and their education agenda.  Certainly statistics can be manipulated (a critique offered in the comments) but NCLB has improved our ability to report on actual student achievement.  The problem is that findings showing progress don't fit the party line of blaming teachers and claiming the system is irretreivably broken.  We all need to be asking these hard questions as this agenda moves forward.
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I'd like to congratulate the public school students and teachers in Marion County and across the state for the dramatic gain in the graduation rates. As a recently retired teacher who was involved in implementing the tougher state standards that are now in place, it is heartwarming to see students and schools meet the challenges and succeed.


There will always be those who say the rate is still too low. Fine. Of course we want all students to graduate, so we just keep working toward that goal.

What I find most disappointing is the lack of acknowledgement from state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett about this accomplishment. Bennett's silence, when taken in the context of the agenda he intends to put forward in the next legislative session, is further evidence that his unspoken intention is to dismantle the public school system in the state.

What other conclusion could be drawn? An acknowledgment of successful and improving public schools certainly doesn't support the need for more charter schools.

Jay Hill,  Indianapolis