State Releases School Performance Data
JACKSON, Tenn. – The grades are out for Tennessee schools and some West Tennessee schools have major improvements to make. The study shows for 29 school districts, income indicates how well and how far students progress in school. Jackson-Madison County is one of them. The Hall family has six children in the JMCSS and said despite what anyone believes, education is the foundation for their children’s futures. They said everyday after school, there is mandatory homework time with mom. “My mom makes me sit down and take my time so I can pass my grades,” Markeese Hall, 11, said of his mother, Michelle. Michelle Hall and her husband said six children are quite the handful. She has even quit her job to make sure she can be active in her kids’ lives. Hall said she has seen first hand how money and education go hand in hand. “If we had more money it would benefit my children because we could afford more educational things. More money would come in handy, it really would,” she said. The Tennessee Department of Education agrees with Hall, finding that 29 districts need to improve their learning for those with lower incomes. Hall said while money may be tight she refuses to let her children’s education suffer. “I want them to become something! Do something! I want them to see the world. That’s what I want for them,” she said. JMCSS Superintendent Verna Ruffin said having any child exceed depends on advanced classes being made available. She said it is also important to teach children no matter their socioeconomic income that they can achieve any level of education they desire. Jackson-Madison County reported last year that 76 percent of students qualified for free lunches based on their parents income. That means the majority of JMCSS students are at risk in the classroom. Madison Hall said sometimes not having supplies available makes learning more difficult. “Like when I do math and you have no calculator and you got to use your mind it’s really frustrating,” she said. However for the Halls, no matter the obstacles education will always be their priority. “I know you won’t get anywhere without an education. Having an older child in college, I show my kids look, you can do it too,” Hall said. Bells City Schools and Bradford Special School District were marked in the study as exemplary.
