Schools to appeal poor performance list

PORTLAND – Many Maine schools are appealing the state’s decision to place them on a preliminary list of underperformers for failing to meet federal goals under the No Child Left Behind Act.

So many appeals are expected by Wednesday’s deadline that the state may not be able to rule on them in time for Monday’s State House news conference on the subject by Education Commissioner Susan Gendron.

The state may release the list but note which schools are under appeal, said Deputy Education Commissioner Patrick Phillips.

The Maine Department of Education announced earlier this month that 190 schools – or a quarter of Maine’s public schools – failed to meet federal goals under the No Child Left Behind Act.

The new goals for reading and math are required as part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The law seeks to hold local schools accountable for the academic performance of all students.

Being placed on the list for one year has little impact other than being publicly embarrassed.

But making the list two years in a row has ramifications including the assignment of a state consultant. Also, parents would be allowed to send their children to another school, and the local school district must pay for transportation. If the school continues to lag behind, the principal could lose his or her job.

Among those filing appeals are the Portland School District, which has seven schools on the list including both high schools, two middle schools and three elementary schools.

The superintendent of the Bangor school system said he and his principals also had found “discrepancies” and would be appealing the state’s progress report on area schools.

“I think there are widespread problems with the data,” Robert Ervin told the Bangor School Committee Monday night.

In Portland, which has a higher percentage of minorities and immigrant children than any district in the state, there are simply more ways for a school to get on the list, officials say.

Portland officials are worried how teachers and parents will react to seeing their schools on the list. It could damage teacher morale and even cause parents to pull their children out of the system, they said.

“It’s frightening for the community or the nation with this type of labeling of schools, unfairly or otherwise,” Portland Superintendent Mary Jo O’Connor said during a meeting Monday with principals.