Josh: I had trouble reading. I couldn’t read that good. But now I can read better.

Ms. Kemp: Could you read at all before or just a little bit or?

Girl: A little.

Ms. Kemp: Just a little? Are you reading books now?

Girl: Yeah.

Ms. Kemp: Alright! So are you ready for TAAS? You’re gonna blow it out of the water, aren’t you?

TAAS IS THE TEXAS ASSESSMENT OF ACADEMIC SKILLS, THE HIGH STAKES TEST THAT TEXAS USED TO MONITOR ALL OF ITS SCHOOLS.

Ms. Kemp: Hi. Uh, Ms. Nicholas? Ms. Nicholas? I’ll be there in a minute. Let me get the test booklets passed out.

BACK AT WALTON, MR. BRASFIELD AND MS. KEMP ARE HOPING THAT THEIR YEARS OF HARD WORK WILL BE REFLECTED IN THIS YEAR’S TAAS SCORES. THE TEST IS TODAY.

Mr. Brasfield: TAAS allows schools to score either low-performing, acceptable, recognized, or exemplary. Now, when I first started here about eight years ago, this school was low-performing… We’ve been acceptable for about six or seven years. Now we know that we’ve got good teachers in place, we know that we’re going to be either recognized or exemplary.

Teacher Two: Do your best. Make me proud. Make yourselves proud. Make your parents proud! Alright.

Announcement chimes

Brasfield: Good morning again, boys and girls and teachers. We are ready to start our second TAAS test today, which is reading.

WALTON’S GROWING REPUTATION IS AT STAKE.

Brasfield: I can put my money on the line on this one – I know for a fact that we will become a recognized or exemplary school.

NEXT MONTH, WALTON WILL FIND OUT IF MR. BRASFIELD IS RIGHT.

Act 6 Patience

Bearden Elementary Sumner, Mississippi April

Ms. Todd: On your mark… get set… go!

IN APRIL MS. TODD TAKES THE KIDS TO HER HOUSE FOR AN EASTER EGG HUNT…

Ms. Todd: Cross the stick. Cross the stick.

HER BABY IS ALMOST DUE. SHE WORRIES THAT SHE HASN’T DONE ENOUGH FOR HER STUDENTS.

Ms. Todd: I feel like I’ve, um, sort of cheated them.

Ms. Todd: Kathleena, sit down and eat, baby.

Ms. Todd: I wish I… would have had proper training with reading and been able to teach it correctly all year. That would have made such a difference because I can see… in a month or two months time the progress that they have made. It just almost makes me sick to realize where they could be.

THAT WEEK, A BOOK FAIR ORGANIZED BY LEAD TEACHER ROSEMARY WOLFE GIVES A HINT OF WHAT BEARDEN MIGHT BECOME. WITH HELP FROM THE BARKSDALE GRANT, THE SCHOOL HAS ALMOST 2,000 BOOKS TO GIVE AWAY. MORE THAN 400 PEOPLE SHOW UP — THE BEST TURNOUT EVER FOR AN ACADEMIC EVENT AT BEARDEN.

Mr. Smith: It’s just good to get the parents to come out… See? That’s my thing. You know, when you see the kids and the parents coming together, mingling together, which is what we don’t have very much in the Delta.

Ms. Wolfe: We’re going to do it again in May.

Mr. Smith: Great!

Ms. Wolfe: Better get ready.

Mr. Smith: I’m ready. I stay ready.

Jill: Alright, I’m gone tell you, “Skywriter’s up.” And we’re gone take our fingers, and remember, our arms are gonna be straight.

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Photo Credit for Bearden Elementary: Maude Schuyler Clay
Photo Credit for Walton Elementary: Chris Hamilton