Gates Foundation Grant Money Should Be Spent Wisely

To whom it may concern:

Recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation selected the Memphis City School System as the recipient of a $90 million grant to improve the quality of education of the city’s children.

The fact that Memphis is receiving the assistance of a prominent business and philanthropic figure such as Gates is great news for the city and should help to bring a positive light back to the city. However, the money is only as good as the results it creates.

What is most important to the students of Memphis is the responsible leadership that makes it possible for them to inch closer to their life goals each day. They rely on teachers and administrators to do what is best for their education. While not all of the students may receive an equal amount of the support they need from their homes, they should be able to count on an equal standard of education and attention in the classroom.

According to the Tennessee Department of Education, the achievement levels of Memphis students at both the elementary and high school levels are well below the state average. For example, in 2009 the state average score on TCAP assessment tests across the curriculum for grades 3-8 was a 50, which is a B. For MCS students the highest average was a 41 in math, which is the equivalent of a D. Science and social studies received F’s with scores of 36 and 37, respectively.

Memphis students also performed poorly on the ACT compared to other districts across the state. The average ACT score for an MCS student in 2009 was 17.5. The average ACT score in the state of Tennessee in 2009 was 20.7, more than three points higher.

The MCS system website boasts more certified teachers than any other district in the state, but these results do not offer reassurance to that fact. Changes are needed in the facilities across the city. Teachers need to be evaluated regularly, possibly by an independent firm. Most importantly, the school board must use this grant money wisely. This is a chance to turn the system around and get it headed in the right direction.

It is great that there is so much excitement about the potential of this money, but it needs to be put into action. We need to see positive results come out of this.