Contributor Opinion by Roald Schrack: Rockville Schools

School overcrowding has recently become an issue in Rockville. Overcrowding at Beall Elementary school was described and denounced by a crowd of about 30 parents at a recent meeting of the Mayor and Council. In response to this and the recognition that the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance prohibits the construction of new residential facilities when local schools have reached 110% of capacity, the Mayor and Council have been motivated to meet with County Board of Education officials and tour school facilities.

Relief of overcrowding is a real need but there are other problems that exist in the school system that should also be addressed. The following table is extracted from school data available on the Montgomery County Board of Education website in “Schools at a Glance 2009-2010″. It shows the great diversity that now exists in the elementary schools that serve Rockville.

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The first column shows the percentage of the student body below the poverty level and thus eligible for Free and Reduced Meals. The second shows the current population ratio to capacity, the third shows the projected ratio in 2015. The next column shows the composite grade 2 test score. The S/T is the student teacher ratio and the last is the teacher salary expense in $1000. per student.

A study of the table is helpful in understanding the geography of poverty in the city. Also note where poverty is high, the student teacher ratio is low. The county makes an effort to put more resources where it is needed.

On Friday, October 15, the Washington Post reported on a study of Montgomery County Schools done by Heather Schwartz of the Century Foundation. It showed how students from poverty backgrounds did better in school when they made up a minority of the student body. To quote from the article:

After seven years, the children in low poverty schools performed 8% higher on standardized math tests than their peers attending higher poverty schools - even though the county had targeted them with extra resources.

Other studies have shown the vital importance of good teachers. A poor teacher in one grade level can have a lingering negative effect for many years.

In summary, it is not the facilities or the resources that make for a successful school but the human environment - the teachers and the students with whom you go to school.

The future of Rockville is dependent on our future employee pool. Even though the county has direct control of Rockville schools, the city needs to exercise a continuing commitment to the education of our younger citizens. We are becoming increasingly dependent on high technology. Our future citizens must be adequately prepared to compete successfully for future jobs.

Roald Schrack

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to [email protected]. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

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