Letter: City schools must take action to fix achievement gap

Graphic by Lori Deaton

In its May 22 edition, Mountain Xpress published the cover story “Unequal Opportunity: Goals, Timeline Lacking in Program Aimed at Racial Achievement Gap in City Schools” by Virginia Daffron, as part of an ongoing series addressing the racial achievement gap plaguing Asheville City Schools. This letter is a response to that article.

Daffron’s article argued that the district’s strategies to address and fix the racial achievement gap are “elusive.” Now is not the time for elusiveness or to merely “address” this problem. According to County Commissioner Al Whitesides, we have already “addressed” the issue, but it will continue existing until we decide to “eliminate” it.

Instead of coming up with a specific, districtwide plan with dates and metrics, ACS officials continue to state that our black students are failing due to poverty and unstable home lives, placing the onus on the larger community and the parents of these children rather than focusing on their own actions. I am not writing to dispute that there are outside factors making it harder for black students to learn in Asheville City Schools.

However, these factors alone wouldn’t make the district the worst performing for black students in the entire state. If the district is truly committed to fixing this alarming achievement gap between black and white students, it must work to make specific changes in its own treatment of black students.

Our children are in school for a large portion of their day. School can have a huge impact on students’ lives. Are our schools reinforcing existing racial inequities for black students? Cross-community supports are important, of course, but there are actions the schools can take to positively impact these students. The first is the recruitment of more black teachers — 92% of ACS teachers are white, and studies have shown that the implicit racial biases of teachers have a negative effect on students, starting in pre-K. Secondly is the recruitment of more school social workers. Lastly, the district must follow clear, time- and data-specific goals in regard to the gap between black and white achievement and discipline.

We must take this failure, acknowledge and own it, and then make sure such disparities are eliminated. This is our call to action. The future of our children depends on our decisions, and I want to see Asheville lead.

— Olive Wilbur
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

4 thoughts on “Letter: City schools must take action to fix achievement gap

  1. Enlightened Enigma

    Until there is equity and inclusion with a single ALL ONE school system in Buncombe County, these problems continue. $16,000 per student spent per year is outrageous compared to $6300 per student per year in the county system. WHERE is the equity and inclusion in those numbers? How many MILLION of taxpayer $$$ can be saved per year with ONE efficient system ‘for the children’ and the taxpayers? WHO will answer this question and implement change? City Council, City Manager, ACS overpaid bureaucrats, the unnecessary ACS ‘foundation ??? WHO will address this???

    Otherwise, get YOUR children OUT of government screwls as FAST as you CAN!!!

  2. Enlightened Enigma

    Wow…such a poignant reasoned account of government screwls…SO many people that should have never had children…

  3. Jessica Grubb

    I am a proponent of early intervention! That being said , we are beginning a yearly occurring three month span where students living in poverty and middle class students have completely different summers. Pricey enriching camps, experiential learning through summer vacations with family, daily activities utilizing the areas attractions like AMOS, Biltmore, WNC Nature Center, etc are all beyond the means of students living in poverty. Middle class students return to the classroom with a language enriching summer of activities and camp. How can we address this three month gap for students living in poverty? These are our students year round not just for nine months.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.