Peter Gorman

Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006 | 10:06 a.m.

1. Student achievement at all levels -- If a student is scoring at the 90th percentile, how do we get him to the 91st? If they are at the 30th percentile, how do we get them up from there? How do we help individuals and groups of students that historically may have not performed at the same level? What resources do we give them to improve their performances?

2. It's how we use decentralization. How we use the regional offices and how we give more authority and autonomy to the principals to make the decisions in a more timely manner.

3. The law makes sure we look at all students and all groups of students and monitor their achievements and give them the resources needed to help them improve. The challenge I see is that it doesn't recognize growth. A fourth grade teacher has a student who enters at the first grade level and they end the year reading at halfway through the fourth grade level. No Child Left Behind says that's a failure.

4. I would look at programs regarding early literacy and how can we make sure all of our students are reading on grade level by the time they finish the third grade.

5. My first order would be that in all situations that I am dealing with I get the truth. I don't get the whitewashed version. They don't tell me what they think I want to hear.

6. I would focus on increasing student achievement, raising the bar and closing the gaps. I would focus on having myself be held accountable for my actions and holding others accountable for their actions.