Leadership Matters - October 2014

Peru Elementary Superintendent Mark Cross reads to teacher Chris Goodman’s Kindergarten class.

Striking a chord

Superintendent’s heartfelt letter to parents goes viral

“The way that data is being used to compare and rank schools is completely misguided. Assessment data was never intended to be used for those purposes. Probably the biggest takeaway from the responses I have received is about the misuse of test data to measure kids, teachers, principals and public schools,” Cross said. “What professional in any line of work would want to judge someone’s performance based on how an 8-year-old fills in a bubble on a given day?” Cross’ viewpoint regarding the use of assessment data by the federal and state education bureaucracies has nothing to do with how his district stacks up because Peru Elementary School District 124 historically performed above or at the statewide averages on the ISAT test that this school year is being replaced with the PARCC assessment. In his letter, Cross wrote: “Unfortunately, there are many federal and state education initiatives that

By Mike Chamness IASA Director of Communications

Peru Superintendent Mark Cross says he was simply writing a back-to-school letter to parents in his district. He wasn’t trying to make a political statement or create a movement, though he thinks one is needed. In a stunning display of the power of social media, Cross’ letter spread from his school district’s Facebook page to more than a million readers across the state and nation. “The letter was just a sincere response to what have been many, many distractions from the federal and state agencies that get in the way of what matters most,” said Cross, who has received hundreds of responses from coast to coast. “It apparently struck a chord.” Cross said the biggest reaction to his letter was about the way in which test scores are being used to rate public schools. Cross believes school rankings are best left to things like football and basketball.

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