Celebrating success

As the new school year gets under way, it’s a good time to think about the positive accomplishments and successes of our public schools. School districts across the state and throughout Santa Barbara County have embraced new, higher standards and are as determined as ever to help all their students succeed. These efforts are bearing fruit in a number of important ways.

High school students are taking more challenging courses than they did 20 years ago. More students than ever are continuing their education at colleges and universities, including locally, where Santa Barbara City College, Allan Hancock College, and UCSB are all seeing rises in applications and enrollments.

Clearly, the fact is that most schools are doing many things right and showing improved student achievement in many areas. This is especially the case at the elementary level, where reform efforts started early and were implemented in a unified and cohesive manner.

Public opinion polls show time and again that an overwhelming majority of parents are happy with their child’s public school and strongly support public education in general.

At a time when the public is so divided on the state and national level, it is certainly heartening to see this strong measure of support for public schools.

Decades of research show that when children know that their parents and their community are behind them, they perform significantly better in school. When parents spend time talking and reading with their children, demonstrating through their involvement that learning is important, their children excel.

We need to build on the positive accomplishments that have accumulated to date. We need to make sure our efforts to improve schooling reach all students, at every level, regardless of their background, motivation, or skill level.

It’s a tall order, but it’s an important goal, and it’s very helpful and heartening to have community support as the 23 school districts in Santa Barbara County tackle a new year of fulfilling their important mission to educate the next generation. In a democratic society, based on participation of an informed electorate, it is a critically important task.