As a new school year begins, report cards for last school year are out, and for most San Antonio-area campuses and districts, it’s reason to celebrate.
In the 2022 school year, 25% of districts and 33% of campuses improved their letter grade from 2019, when TEA last graded schools, according to a TEA news release.
The Texas Education Agency’s report card isn’t the only growth indicator, but it’s an important measure that proves educators and students are persevering after years of learning gains were lost to COVID-19 disruptions.
Consider how much educators have overcome as school buildings were shuttered and learning went virtual. Teachers and students experienced disruptions and loss related to the trauma of the pandemic, which for some, included food and housing instability. Severe teacher and staff shortages exacerbated the challenges. State politics have not helped.
Speaking to reporters about the state report cards, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said that this year, 49% of Texas school districts earned higher scores in academic growth, compared with 17% in 2019. He credited educators who have “stepped up remarkably to give our kids their absolute best during this time.”
Four of Bexar County’s traditional public school districts received A grades; eight districts received B’s; and two received C’s. Only one local district, East Central ISD, with an overall score of 69, was among the 42 districts and 564 campuses statewide to receive the “Not Rated” designation. Normally, schools can face closure for repeated D’s or F’s, but, thankfully, this year there are no consequences for scores lower than 70.
But not all news was positive. Although the TEA framed it as favorable that 18% of high-poverty campuses in Texas were rated A, saying it was “continuing to prove that demographics do not equal destiny,” we continue to question why gaps between affluent and high-poverty districts persist. More than half of the “Not Rated” schools were high-poverty schools — pointing to our education system’s flaws.
Report card grades aside, the efforts of students and their teachers in the aftermath of profound disruptions have been, and remain, admirable. They earn our highest marks and best wishes for continued growth in this new school year.
San Antonio Express-News
