A Point of View

Gwendolyn Grant
President & CEO
Urban League of Greater Kansas City
Friday, August 24, 2007

Broken Promises, Lame Excuses

Shame on public officials who make promises and offer lame excuses when they fail to deliver.

Superintendent Anthony Amato came here promising substantial achievement gains if the Board would support and purchase his expensive scripted instructional programs. When community leaders and some board members suggested patience and a deliberate effort based on a thorough analysis of the district’s strengths and weaknesses, he said we “do not have time” to be patient. He assured parents, patrons, and students that if his initiatives were approved, there would be immediate success. He also said, “…I stake my reputation on it.”

Initially, (with cameras rolling) he said there would be 10% growth in the number of children performing at proficient or above in reading and math. Later, he quietly lowered that to 5%. (He also guaranteed .2 of a point increase on the ACT test). After his evaluation was published he said the Board’s concerns would be dispelled when the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test scores were released.

Scores have been released and Mr. Amato failed to deliver even 2% growth. The low MAP scores are comparable to those received under his predecessor. ACT scores declined .8 of a point.

Now he says, “we saw growth…we have to be patient.” There was no statistically significant growth. His promises were not kept. Whatever reputation he had is diminished by his failure to deliver.

When the community complained about the vacuity of Amato’s initiatives, his boss, School Board President, Dave Smith, assured us that he, too, had high expectations for urban kids and that he would hold the superintendent accountable if the programs were unsuccessful. Au contraire, when the low scores were released, he praised the programs and the Superintendent stating that the efforts were, “resulting in some positives” and “…indicators are on the upswing.”

There is nothing positive about declining ACT scores and statistically insignificant “growth” in MAP scores. Dave’s low standards and low expectations are not “good for the children.”

Another official who must face a reckoning from this community is Beth Gottstein. The 4th District At-Large Councilwoman campaigned throughout our community promising that her priority was improving the quality of life east of Troost. During screenings she assured us that she would “be with us” on critical issues – we could “depend on” her. We responded with overwhelming support and she won largely because of the substantial support she received from the Black community. She lost in her own district and would not be on the Council without the Black vote.

Unfortunately, when Councilwoman Sharon Sanders Brooks made a proposal to address inequities in the allocation of resources by setting aside 10% of unallocated capital improvement funds for economically distressed neighborhoods east of Troost, Gottstein voted against the proposal. When I asked about her apostasy, she offered lame excuses such as she didn’t “understand the proposal” and “Sharon waited too late” and “it would have been a tough vote for her.” When she comes up for re-election I will remember and hope that we all show her the consequences of breaking promises and lame excuses.

The aforementioned individuals have no shame. For this, their failures, and their treachery there must be a reckoning.