by James C. Sherlock
The Loudoun County School Board gets to lecture absolutely no one about equity. The richest county in America has shoehorned most of the high schoolers among its record low percentage of poor children into one of its 15 high schools, Park View High.
That in itself is not an indictment. They go to school where they live, and in Loudoun County most live in Sterling near Dulles Airport in the Park View High School district.
What is utterly unusual, and a disgrace, is that having placed them in Park View, LCPS has failed to educate them.
For context read my report yesterday. Only 60% of Park View’s Black students passed SOL math tests; 70% of its Hispanics.
Virginia Department of Education data puts the lie to the school board’s incessant claims of systemwide systemic racism. Eighty-six percent of Briar Wood’s High’s Black students passed math SOLs, as did 90% of its Hispanic students. Those are virtually the same as the white student 88% pass rate state wide.
If Wise County in the coalfields of Virginia failed to educate its poor kids, all of its high schools would have a Title 1 designation. None does.
Park View is one of only 13 high schools in the state with a school wide Title 1 designation. That is not an award. It is a disgrace.
Nine of the state’s Title 1 high schools are in Richmond.
All you need to know is embodied in the name of the program:
Title I, Part A: Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies
Bottom line
Loudoun County Public Schools is the “local educational agency.” It has not only packed Park View with poor kids but also has failed to educate them, “earning” a Title 1 designation. In the richest county in America.
The next thing we hear from the infamous Loudoun County School Board must be their plan for Park View.
The Chairwoman of that board can lead the discussions. She sent her kids to Park View.
They can shut up about equity until they clean up their own mess.
