Now, let's keep going and not let the celebrating get in the way of the teaching. I get it, we're doing an OK job. Texas alone is, in fact, OVER the 85% mark. Let's not ignore the fact that standardized tests scores are down, and, even if they weren't, one student graduation that isn't college or career ready is still unacceptable. There's nothing wrong with setting goals and reducing the gaps, but the objective should be the elimination of "gaps" not just the reduction of them.
There are still miles to go if we are trying to increase the quality of our teachers and administrators. We can't pat ourselves on the back for too long if we still have buildings that are in such poor repair that it is impacting the learning of our students. We owe it to ourselves and, most importantly, our students to respond to this good news by redoubling our efforts.
Some say that setting targets too high encourages people to not even try, but the numbers show me what's possible and that I have no reason to lower my target.
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