Arkansas Blog: Investigative editorial

Credit where due. Somebody at the Arkanas Democrat-Gazette editorial department did some research on claims by Paron High School diehards. Despite the school's demonstrated lack of required courses, extracurricular activities and many of the other things, except basketball, that constitute a quality education, the diehards have been howling that the school did a better job teaching its kids than bad ol' Bryant up several dozen miles of windy roads.

The editorialist discovered that claims being circulated by Paron backers -- that the high school had a zero remediation rate -- were wrong. The high school has graduated precious few college-bound students in recent years and a majority of them required remedial instruction -- all two of them in the most recent year measured.

We can't hyperlink Democrat-Gazette articles, sorry to say. They've blocked direct links from us. But you can copy and paste the link below into your browser to read the full account on their free NWA website. Then, of course, you can page back to us.

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Editorial/167484/

Comments

Good work, DemGaz. Can't wait to hear from A$a and Holt about our liberal statewide paper.

Posted by: PVNasby | September 23, 2006 08:23 AM

Now those good folks at Paron wouldn't lie. Only that villian of a guy who is supt. at Bryant is the liar. I read here on this blog.

Posted by: Rasputin | September 23, 2006 08:37 AM

Now those folks at Paron wouldn't lie. The only liar is that villain who is supt. at Bryant. I read that here on this blog.

Posted by: Rasputin | September 23, 2006 08:38 AM

According to the editorial, our wonder Ark Dept of Education helped perpuate this lie. Evidently there is a report that is accessible on their website that shows Remidation Rates for school districts and for Paron, it shows 0.

Posted by: ARKDEMOCRAT | September 23, 2006 09:29 AM

Rasputin, I was the one who wrote that the Bryant superintendent was a liar, and I stand by it. He, with the cooperation of the Bryant school board, misled the people of the Paron School District in order to get the property tax money from the district. He lied to the teachers there; he gutted the school before he got the okay of the court. He never, ever, ever had the best interests of the Paron students at heart, no matter what he might say.

I note that the author of the editorial Max cited isn't exactly above playing fast and loose with statistics himself. For instance, if there were only two students from Paron who went to college (in Arkansas), pretending that the fact that both needed remediation was statistically significantly different from Bryant's is either dishonest or ignorant. Note also that Bryant has a remediation rate of about two-thirds--it ain't exactly Harvard on the Saline.

Posted by: Archaeopteryx | September 23, 2006 03:52 PM

"he gutted the school before he got the okay of the court. He never, ever, ever had the best interests of the Paron students at heart, no matter what he might say."

One of two things apply to your statement:
1. pardon my ignorance of the matter;
2. Since when did a court need to approve of the initial consolidation? That was supposed to be done by the Huckabee-appointed state board.

Posted by: Lwood | September 23, 2006 08:00 PM

Archaeopteryx

How many students did Paron graduate last year?

Posted by: lowark | September 23, 2006 10:01 PM

Posted by: lowark | September 23, 2006 10:02 PM

Lwood,
The school was stripped of computers and other equipment after the judge had issued a restraining order on closing the school, but before he lifted the order.

Don't know how many graduates there were last year. Less than 20, I assume.

Posted by: Archaeopteryx | September 24, 2006 09:17 AM

Arkansas Blog

Investigative editorial

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