With all the promising school reform initiatives springing up in cities everywhere, one of the unfortunate realities is that many of our lowest academic performers will not be beneficiaries of these innovative efforts for reasons that have nothing to do with the mission of schools. Even as most people understand how critical it is for those at the bottom of the performance ladder to have highly competent and experienced classroom teachers, this truth is being ignored in the most challenged districts. Given the need to supplement in-school time with afterschool tutoring and remediation programs for those groups of students who are not reaching their academic potential, we are discovering that school leaders are rejecting these interventions without substantiation. While research and practice reiterate the importance of what’s essential for basic academic achievement, there are still scores of young people in the lowest performing school environments who may not benefit from the best practices and innovations in teaching and learning that are being implemented in schools that are committed to their mandate. The dysfunctional school cultures and incompetent leadership that are plaguing school systems that are supposed to serve the most vulnerable students and communities leave the casual observer pretty much speechless. There has been no time in this country’s history whereby we have witnessed patterns of apathy, fraud, and irresponsibility among school leaders in underserved communities like we’re seeing now. There is simply a blatant disregard for responsibility in leadership and a gradual deterioration of concern for educating the young people in the most academically challenged school communities.

The school systems that are producing the worst academic performances among student groups are being hamstrung by school boards who make personnel decisions that have nothing to do with the record of a superintendent, principals who care more about job security than exhibiting courageous leadership, and teachers who would rather provide answers to a test than actually teach. Students simply don’t have a fighting chance when the school culture breeds low expectations, cronyism, apathy, and no accountability. It’s unconscionable that so many school officials in the toughest communities seem to be unfazed by the effects of poor academic performance on their students. These realities are absolutely a tragedy that will reverberate in a variety of ways in the young people’s lives, families, and surrounding communities. The kids are victims of their circumstances and are being used as pawns in the games being played by the adults whose mandate is to educate them and provide educational leadership. Just as people all across the nation are recognizing the urgency surrounding the state of public schools, the educational establishment in some of the most vulnerable school districts is essentially making a mockery of its role as educational steward for the young people they are supposed to serve. The only saving grace for the students is that these educators are being exposed and will have to give accounts for their irresponsibility and apathy.