Student Achievement for All

A poem by Emma Lazarus is graven on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. "...Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..."

Can anyone "breathe free" without academic success?

In Riverside, on the Main Street Pedestrian Mall is another inspiring statue. The words on the base of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Statue read "I have a dream."

Both of these statues, their stories and their corresponding statements inspire us. And while we openly accept immigrants and we encourage our children to play together with others, we still must recognize that, even in Riverside, inequities, differences, and deeply held beliefs can hold back the progress of those who have dreams and those who "...yearn to be free..."

Emerson is considered to be a beautiful melting pot, a mixed salad, or a stew (depending on your preferred culinary metaphor) where racial problems are a rarity. However even at Emerson,we have significant learning gaps that exist- it is not uncommon for there to be a 15% fewer English Learners who are Proficient or Advanced than the rest of our school population. Even at Emerson, there is a performance gap between our African American students and our overall population.

We have worked to close the learning gap by offering a variety of interventions, trainings and strategies. But despite the extra efforts, we are not moving all of our students up as quickly as we must. Should we be happy with 30%, 40% or 50% of our students meeting proficiency standards? Students who are "...yearning to be free..." cannot achieve this freedom, equality and opportunity unless they are achieving at grade level. Every year that passes for a student who is performing below grade level, is a year that an opportunity is lost to achieve the dream.

Just as Lady Liberty opens her arms to welcome needy travellers, can you volunteer your time to help read with students? Sheila Close and Ron Beasley can train you to be an Accelerated Reader volunteer. Would you please let us know that you want to help Emerson achieve our dream?