Failing grade in report card really about at-risk students

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who will be visiting the Mahoning Valley today, can expect to be asked about the two largest school districts in the region that are failing to make the grade. The question that looms large in light of the bleak state report cards for Youngstown and Warren is this: Are children from dysfunctional homes without the parental guidance that is so important in the education process doomed to failure?

That question goes to the heart of the challenges confronting the two urban school districts. It’s no secret that a stable, healthy (read that drug-free) home, in which parents are actively involved in the lives of their children, is an essential ingredient for creating a successful classroom experience.

To his credit, the superintendent of the academically embattled Youngstown City School District, Dr. Connie Hathorn, doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to pointing out that principals and teachers have influence over the students only when they are in the school buildings. Once the young people return to their neighborhoods, they’re exposed to all the turmoil that defines life in the inner city.

The Warren City School District, while earning a slightly better grade in the state tests than Youngstown, faces many of the same challenges. (Saturday’s Vindicator published reams of information about how each school district in Mahoning and Trumbull counties fared in last school year’s state proficiency tests.)

While it’s unfair to compare an urban public school system with a wealthy suburban one, this comment from the superintendent of the “A” grade Canfield district is revealing.

“We’ve got wonderful families sending us some great kids, and we have great teachers who delve into the data,” said Alex Geordan.

The other “A” district in the two counties is Maplewood.

Does anyone doubt that the superintendents of the Youngstown and Warren districts would love to have children coming to school without the baggage many of them now carry?

Gov. Kasich, who has shown a willingness to use the power of his office on behalf of young people who are in harm’s way educationally, would certainly earn the appreciation of the cities of Youngstown and Warren if he appointed a special commission to delve into the lives of the children who live there.

Are there enough responsible adults in the homes? How many children go home after school only to find no one there? Are the churches as actively involved in their neighborhoods as they once were?

After-school programs

To be sure, there are many after-school programs designed to fill in the gaps in the lives of children at risk, but they don’t seem to be working as well as they could.

The state report cards issued last week clearly show that in the Mahoning Valley, the Youngstown and Warren school districts, with a large number of students from economically challenged homes, are in need of extraordinary assistance from the state.

In Youngstown, a state academic distress commission has developed a recovery plan for the district. However, the commission does not have the ability to conduct the kind of research into the lives of the students that is absolutely necessary.

No child should be left behind, as Republican and Democratic presidents have said unequivocally.

We would hope Gov. Kasich recognizes the urgency in addressing the needs of inner-city students from Youngstown and Warren.