Atomic City Talk

Three local schools make Newsweeks top High Schools in the nation. This was breaking news at http://www.knoxsnews.com. Good job ORSB and ORS students and administration.

Yes, congratulations are in store according to this article.

Remember that Newsweek only ranks schools by essentially how many AP classes are taken per student. Since we have a diverse student body, some of which are not particularly well served by AP classes, other programs like the Academies are providing innovative programs for other students as well. Another reason to be proud of our excellent school system providing for all of our children.

At Lunch with the League today, Ken Green spoke in blunt terms about the diversity of our student body. We're essentially equal, demographically speaking, to Knox County -- so this honor is one of which we should be quite proud.

Beginning year after next, all students will be on a college-prep track (that's a statewide mandate, not exclusive to Oak Ridge). It will be a challenge, but my hope is that some who hadn't given much thought to that direction will do so. Getting more kids prepared for, and interested in, these high-level courses is a good thing.

Challenging, yes...but with new vice principals like Christopher Scott implementing programs like ROAR, the students at risk of not graduating will be identified and assisted. The money that the ORSB set aside last year for the graduation counselors was well spent, and will continue to be needed as the curriculum changes. Good job!

Thanks for noticing! I'm pretty pleased with the progress, too.

Can someone tell me what ROAR is?
How do "graduation" counselors differ from other ORHS counselors?

Who said anything about

Is there any kind of bigot that you are not? Rest assured the my kind is not "your kind".

Graduation counselors (also referred to as "graduation coaches") work very closely with students -- seniors in particular -- who are at risk of failing a required class and not graduating on time. The grad coach is empowered to take away a student's open lunch privileges, requiring the student to meet with them daily and show that all homework was successfully completed, etc. They also work very closely with the parents, so that the parents are informed of all progress or lack thereof.

This year is the first year we've had them, but the feedback I've gotten has been exceptionally positive. It's one of several ways that we're addressing the graduation rate issue.

Sounds like a great edition to the staff.

Diverse does not only apply to minorities, it can apply to economic status also. And saying all children are not capable to take AP classes is not a slur, it is a fact. I had one capable and one not capable. The one who was not capable would have been totally frustrated in AP classes. That does not mean they are not college material. The one not capable to take AP went on to college to recieve a BS and is very successful. You want to read into things what you want to. I read what Cracker said as realistic and factual. Maybe it is in the eyes of the person who is reading it and how they choose to interpret it, kind of like the Bible. I can read a passage and interpret it one way and you can read it and interpret it completely different. That doesn't mean either of our interpretations are wrong or right, it is how we see it.