I’m Audrey Clement, the Independent candidate for Arlington School Board, and I’m concerned about the fact Arlington high school student performance is slipping.
My opponent Barbara Kanninen is no doubt as complacent as I am concerned, because a recent Niche report rated Arlington schools tops in the state of Virginia.
Yet the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) 2016-17 Report Card on Arlington Public Schools (APS) indicates that pass rates for Arlington Community High were behind the state average in all categories tested, and pass rates for Wakefield High School and W-L were behind in History & Social Sciences.
Furthermore, pass rates for Wakefield and W-L declined in four categories since 2014, when my opponent Barbara Kanninen was elected, and Yorktown pass rates declined in three categories.
So how do declining pass rates square with Niche’s glowing evaluation of APS? Niche also gave Arlington Public Schools an “A” for diversity. Yet the Superintendent’s own published Performance Highlights indicate that pass rates for Black students are about 20 percent below White pass rates for most subjects at all levels. So clearly Niche’s ratings are suspect.
If you want to know more about this important issue, come to my booth (C-19) at the Arlington County Fair, Thomas Jefferson Community Center located at 3501 S. 2nd Street, Arlington Virginia 22204, from Friday through Sunday, August 17-19.
I will be happy to provide you with more details on Arlington student achievement and explain how I can improve educational attainment if elected to the School Board.
I’m a 14-year Westover resident and civic activist–with a Ph.D. in Political Science and service as a Congressional Fellow. I also serve on the Arlington Transportation Commission.
If elected, I pledge to:
- Preserve the name: Washington-Lee High School.
- Reverse declining high school test scores.
- Close the minority student achievement gap.
- Rein in profligate School Board spending.
- Listen to the concerns of all taxpayers.
- Build schools not trailers on time and on budget.
- Mainstream special needs students.
- End “teaching to the test”.
- Install efficient renewable energy in all public schools.
- Promote school safety with a focus on violence prevention.
If you share my agenda, then:
- Spread the word about my candidacy.
- Volunteer to help.
- Donate to my campaign.
If you’re interested in helping out, just shoot me an email or call or text. If you want to find out more about my campaign, visit my website.
Together we can make Arlington Public Schools provide all students with an honest education.