Newport-Mesa, it should be said, has unique circumstances. On one end of the spectrum are the more affluent Newport Beach schools, populated largely with English-speaking students. Those schools have always scored well in standardized testing. On the other end sits the more impoverished schools on Costa Mesa's Westside, many of those populated with students who are new to English or have limited English skills.
It's clearly not an even playing field.
But there are ways to make that playing field more even, and Daily Pilot staff writer Michael Miller's five-part series on No Child Left Behind spotlighted the many heroes who have worked to accomplish that.
First and foremost are the school leaders and teachers who have implemented creative programs to boost test scores. They work tirelessly to educate students in complex subjects, students who are already struggling just to learn English.
The focus now in the Westside schools is on the basics: reading and writing and arithmetic. Arts and music education are now just rare escapes. While that may seem a sad development to some, we see that as a reality of today's education environment.
Also a reality is the need for outside assistance. Again, the heroes are many. The after-school program at the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen, Wilson Elementary, Save Our Youth and the Estancia High School Tutor Corps help students overcome the huge educational hurdles they face.
Just last week, the school district revisited No Child Left Behind and decided to adopt sweeping changes in curriculum designed to help students in those schools in the district that have been deemed at risk of sanctions: Pomona and Wilson elementary schools and TeWinkle Middle School.
