Pearce Middle School is set to close this fall under ordersfrom the Texas Education Agency & Commissioner Robert Scott who says business as usual on the east-side of Austin is going to change. This pattern of continuing low performance is not acceptable and currently is unmatched by any other campus in the state" Education Commissioner
Robert Scott wrote in a letter to the school district released Wednesday.
Scott said that Austin needs to change the way it does business at all of its struggling schools. Austin has two of the three public schools closed by the state for failing to meet accountability standards. Both campuses are east of Interstate 35.
Kids on the east deserve the same opportunities to learn as the kids on the west" Scott said.
The school has been academically unacceptable" for the past five years and underperforming for 8 of the past 10 years as students at the Northeast Austin school have struggled to meet accountability standards on state achievement tests the Texas Education Agency says.
The clock to shutting down Pearce began five years ago under former superintendent Pat Forgione. He and school trustees then were too slow to address problems with Pearce Reagan Eastside Memorial and some other low-performing schools east of Interstate 35.
The district will not appeal Scotts decision but has 30 days to submit a plan to repurpose" the campus.
Pearces performance dramatically improved in recent years but not enough to clear all hurdles. Though showing improvements in numerous subject areas last year Pearce students continued to miss the mark on science testing.
Austin ISDs new superintendent Meria Carstarphen along with Pearces new Principal James Troutman have recently rallied the staff teachers and students and are now enjoying a level of parental involvement not seen in more than a decade.
However after similar promises & numerous 2nd chances during each of the past 5 years Commissioner Scott said he believes too many students have already been mis-served and significant changes are necessary in order to better educate the predominantly minority student populaion of East Austin.
Carstarphen said that only 39 of the all students" group passed in science. While that is only two to five percentage points away from meeting required improvement standards it makes sense to come up with a plan that addresses deficiencies in science.
I am disappointed and respectfully disagree with the TEA decision" said Carstarphen who is in her second week as superintendent. I believe that under the new law Pearce could have stayed open and continued on this accelerated path of improvement."
Changes to the states school accountability law that were approved this spring allowed Scott to give some schools an additional year to meet state standards. But given Pearces record it did not qualify for such options.
Four other noncharter schools across the state were on the same precipice as Pearce. Scott might also close one of those schools Texas Education Agency spokeswoman Suzanne Marchman said.
The closure is effective starting this fall but Scotts decision does not mean the doors will be locked come the first day of school in August. Althought sources say its unlikely at the time the school could be repurposed and allowed to continue operation under different leadership.
If Austin ISD does not design a repurposing proposal that can be approved by trustees and Scott by the time classes start Aug. 24 Pearce students would be sent to other nearby middle schools.
Carstarphen and Scott met Wednesday afternoon about forging a plan that will work for the community and the students.
