Earlier this year, the QCUSD Administration presented its desire and recommendation to maintain the override during a study session. They had also previously presented a very painful plan if an override is not passed. During the presentation, we learned about the significant impact of this extra 15% of our tax dollars on our community and how, in my opinion, the promises had not been met.
As a school board member, I firmly voiced what I believe to be the community's concerns. When the override was first implemented in 2015, our assessment scores were at a respectable 70% range. However, by the time it was renewed in 2019, these scores had started to decline. This raised a crucial question: ‘Should we continue to support an override that is not delivering on its promises?’ It was clear to me that we needed to rethink our approach to the override, and I made it known that I would not endorse it unless it was reimagined.
In our discussion, I expressed my concerns that too many students leave the 3rd grade without solid reading, writing and math skills. Many studies have shown evidence that students who are behind in the third grade often struggle throughout their education. If assessment scores are the method we have to measure success, then we need to focus on genuinely leaving no student behind. I expressed that I thought we needed the plan to decrease class size and allow a focused effort to ensure all students leaving the 3rd grade excelled in these areas and a focused, quick response plan to help students as soon as they show signs of sliding or being left behind.
