The Future of South Bend Schools Starts Now

Written by: Meg Freitag

The future of South Bend Schools is being shaped right now. South Bend Community School Corporation is St. Joseph County's oldest and largest school corporation, and it is currently the fifth largest in the state. The corporation was founded in 1867 and is home to over 18,000 students. What was once a strong and dynamic corporation now seems to be diminishing right in front of our very eyes. With the lack of teacher support, students' test scores have been dropping, raising concerns for the corporation's future. So, how can we protect and strengthen the future of education within South Bend schools?

Students in the South Bend School Corporation are required to take a variety of standardized tests. Some of these tests include ILEARN, IREAD-3, PSAT, and SAT. The results of these tests are very important for the corporation to determine what changes need to be made within the curriculum. South Bend Community School Corporation’s Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Karla Lee, states “We are monitoring and exposing students to state standards so that we can guarantee an increase in our probability that they will master standards.” Students being exposed to state standards in their daily curriculum has already made a huge impact on the corporation's test scores. We can see this improvement in the district's scores for IREAD-3, “We went from 52% passing to 70% and we hope to get up to 87%,” Superintendent Mansour Eid shared.

Despite what may be said standardized test scores have been increasing within the district over the past couple of years. Many members of the corporation have goals for what they would like to see in the classroom to increase student test scores. Board of Trustee Jeanette McCullough shared, “We must continuously evaluate curriculum effectiveness.” By doing this the corporation is strengthening academic rigor and innovation.

In America, teaching is known as a widely underpaid profession. The low income has made it hard to attract teachers causing a teacher shortage all throughout the country. Teachers can feel unsupported and without district support those teachers may begin to feel isolated. As Eid continues in his role as superintendent he has worked on ways the district can better support teachers. “We looked at the referendum, we took that money that was meant for our teachers and gave it to our teachers,” Eid states. The corporation is putting things back together in order to protect its future but the key to the future of the corporation is the teachers. Money, though important, isn't the only way we can support our teachers. Making sure teachers feel involved in curriculum decision-making is just as important. Teachers see firsthand what it is like inside a classroom every single day, they understand the good and the bad. Within the district there are many opportunities for people to share their voices, such as a committee that works to adopt textbooks and curriculum. The new math and ELA assessment committee allows the district to look at the curriculum and make sure it works for both teachers and students. It helps the district better understand the reality of the classroom and what adjustments may need to be made. Lee said, “we are all just educators coming together, making, and designing the best plan for everyone.” Working within a committee helps educators feel seen as they advocate for the needs of their students.

With students' test scores truly on an incline and teachers beginning to get the support they need, what would the future of the corporation look like? There are many things that have brought great improvement to the district. The newly formed South Bend Education Foundation has brought significant support to the district. According to the “Stronger Together” article from GreatNews.Life “By uniting efforts, this new chapter brings clarity, connection, and momentum to the work each organization has carried for decades.” A strong community that supports the district has brought valuable insight to those who work hard for the corporation. Having that support allows for a great future. Looking at the CTE programs you can see all the success students have. Lee said, “the magnet program and CTE are specialized programming that we have in place which helps to continue to prepare our students for what comes next" The education students receive in South Bend schools will prepare them for the real world. There are many things you can find in South Bend schools that may be hard to find elsewhere.

“We have diversity and based on what we have, we represent American society,” Eid explained. Students are put into environments where everyone is welcomed, everyone is equal. In South Bend schools every student gets the chance to learn despite their background. McCullough shared, “All students deserve access to technology, mental health services, advanced coursework, and extracurricular opportunities regardless of zip code.” The diverse community within South Bend schools only grows stronger and prepares students for what the future is going to look like. The future of South Bend schools is bright because students remain prepared. Despite the harsh media, South Bend schools are truly making great improvements. The corporation has worked to improve test scores and teacher support all to protect its future.

Change can be hard for some people but South Bend schools have taught the community to embrace it. Many people consider south bend schools home, and because of that they will never forget where they came from. Protecting the future of South Bend schools should remain a goal within the community because it's not just a corporation; it's a legacy.