Racine Unified Official: The District Isn't Failing Most Students

This video is one of a five-part series on an interview with Dr. Jim Shaw, superintendent of the Racine Unified School District. During the interview he speaks to his critics who say the district is failing children.

Administrators with the Racine Unified School District readily admit the district is failing some students. But the district is also home and host to a number of bright spots of success that are being overshadowed by a negative perception both inside and outside of Racine.

In an interview with Mount Pleasant-Sturtevant and Caledonia Patch editors, Racine Unified Superintendent Dr. Jim Shaw said the charge that RUSD is failing all students is inaccurate. Instead, Shaw said poor and diverse students are the ones who regularly test and perform below grade level.

“Racine Unified succeeds with its middle class population,” Shaw said. “If you compare elementary students not on free or reduced lunch across the state, Unified students are doing as well or better than the state average.”

Part of the problem, Shaw added, is that there is a significant population of students who are not in Racine Unified schools for very long, making it difficult to track the progress of those kids.

“Diversity and poverty are growing and mobility hurts our ability to provide an education for these students,” Shaw said.  “We want to weaken the link between poverty, race and achievement.”