DIRTY TACTICS

We can keep track of those kids missing school on a particular day, but there is a larger problem with the attendance mess in Buffalo Schools. That is those throngs of students showing up everyday and doing nothing. They show up 80% of the time and hundreds after hundreds have failing grades across the board.

Have too many of these kids in one class and you're a goner.

What mitigating factor is taken into account with teenagers being teenagers?What will be considered official factors, decided by government entities, what "growth" means, technically. No one knows what it means, nor are they saying if they do. It's either a really big secret or no one has a clue. Yet in the news this past week we have seen quotes and headlines such as "Pity the students", "the pope" and "barmitzah". Also the Buffalo News got into the ugly truth about what the district really is afraid of, and the quote from district leadership read something like we can't blame parents "entirely". Maybe they meant blame the parents just a little? This pins blame squarely on the backs of teachers like a "kick me" sign. Another quote referred to when students are engaged attendance improves. Is that breaking news?

Finally, since when has this been such an issue? Since it became part of an accountability formula forced upon workers from the federal level by dangling carrots and encouraging division. Attendance has always been a problem, now it's in a pinhole of discovery because it fits a political agenda? Let's be careful where this leads us folks. Remember the idea is to divide and conquer. Don't let the tactic work.