Quote of the Day – On not excusing weak school test results with poverty

"When we look at poverty, when we look at homelessness, when we look at food insecurity, when we look at trauma that many of our kids face ... that's no excuse for not achieving and improving student outcomes."

Dr. Marty Pollio, Superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools

Quoted in “New Kentucky test scores show stark differences in JCPS schools' achievement” by Olivia Krauth and Mandy McLaren, Louisville Courier-Journal, October 1, 2019

Added Note: At a time when others are trying to excuse Kentucky’s lackluster public school assessment results for 2019, Dr. Pollio’s no excuses comment is particularly refreshing. And, there are some examples even in his district that high poverty schools can produce much better than expected, providing important evidence that those who would use poverty as an excuse for low-performing schools are off target. Stay tuned for more on that.