Letters To Editor – Sept. 25, 2008
New State Tests Will Set Higher Standards
Dear Editor,
In the next few weeks, school districts will be sharing with us our children’s test scores from the MCT2, Algebra I, and English II tests that were administered last spring. As we process this information, there are some important points to remember:
1. The new tests are harder than the old, therefore our children, and thus our schools and school districts, will likely have lower test scores than in years past.
2. Schools and school districts, for this year only, will not be rated (levels 1-5) as they have been in the past. There is a very good reason for this one-year reprieve from school ratings: the state will not have all the data it needs to calculate the ratings until the tests have been administered for a second time.
3. The new, more rigorous tests will produce better results for our state and for our kids. See details on our website.
Teachers and schools will do their job to ensure that students are brought up to speed to meet the new standards, but we parents have a role to play as well. The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has prepared a great deal of information to assist us in understanding and helping our children adapt to the new state standards. You can access this information through The Parents’ Campaign website or by logging on to the MDE website. State Superintendent Dr. Hank Bounds also has a message for students: have high expectations for yourselves.
The bottom line is this, we all have the same goal: well educated, highly competitive children. The MCT2 is a big step down the path toward achievement of that goal. We parents can quicken the pace of that journey by helping our children become better learners. Working together, we can ensure that Mississippi children are well prepared to compete in this world…and their test scores will show it.
Warm regards,
Nancy Loome
Executive Director
The Parents’ Campaign
800 N. President St., Suite B
Jackson, Mississippi
39202-2560
601.961.4551 office
601.672.0953 mobile
601.961.4552 fax
http://www.msparentscampaign.org/
Lower Oil Prices Should Be Reflected At The Pump
Dear Editor:
When oil was climbing to a peak of about $147 a barrel, gasoline at the pumps followed it up, increase by increase. Now, however, crude oil has dropped by more than one-third and the price at the pumps is still pushing the highs of $3.85 to $3.90 a gallon. From a high of $147.00 a barrel down to about $92.00 a barrel should be reflected in a similar one-third or so drop at the pumps, shouldn’t it?
/s/Joe Lowe