Letter to the Editor

To the editor:
Regarding Venki Palamand’s letter to the editor about the Mehlville School District performing behind districts like Lindbergh: What an elegant dismantling of the ugly results for the district by one of the most respected and informed members of our education community.
I had to re-read the Call article to appreciate the stark differences in their interpretation of the test scores and the district’s obvious lack of urgency to remedy this unacceptable situation.
It comes down to this: The students simply cannot wait many years for Mehlville to deliver on “slow and steady improvement.”
Superintendent Chris Gaines, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Tina Plummer and school board members Larry Felton, et al, did not express a strong desire to accelerate progress towards excellence.
Their faint praise of test scores improving compared to state averages is damning when one considers the performance of students in neighboring districts.
Mr. Palamand nailed it: Scores are declining. Money is not an issue. This is about leadership. Our kids deserve better.
The district must figure out how to excel — now. We will not accept less.
Until then, the district can use this as their slogan: “Come to the Mehlville School District. We are not above the state average, but we’re improving.”
Kent Bettale
Oakville