Some say KC school's reform plan not making the grade

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A program at a Kansas City high school that was expected to become a model for urban school reform is facing criticism from parents.

The Raising the Bar program at Central High School was launched seven months ago with teachers, students and parents agreeing to improved academic progress, parental involvement and student conduct.

But the required covenants, signed at the start of the school year, have mostly not been kept.

Some school supporters say new principal Deborah McGill has not met expectations. McGill is overseeing the reform effort.

Some question why the reform effort has broken down so quickly. Parent Ronald Chaney said parents were excited in the beginning, but then class schedules for students and textbooks started showing up late. Delays came in resetting lockers with new combinations so students could use them.

In some cases, teachers weren't being consistent in issuing weekly progress reports for students. The student dress code and the rule requiring ID badges ran into enforcement problems.

Student conduct wasn't improving. Police had to be called for student fights.

Parents complained to the school, but Jackson said all they got were "promises, promises, promises."

Another parent, Dorothy Chaney, said, "There is no away around it. Raising the Bar was not implemented."

Central High had an enrollment of 966 last year and reported 270 disciplinary incidents.

Danita Saffold, who supports the new principal, said she and other parents "need this school district to become serious about engaging with parents in this process."