Congratulations to students and faculty at Centertown

The State Department of Education recently announced Centertown is in the top 10 percent of all schools in Tennessee in both reading/language arts and mathematics for the 2004-2005 school year.

In a day when exemplary test scores and Warren County aren?t usually mentioned in the same sentence, this announcement is cause for excitement. It shows one school in this community is headed in the right direction and perhaps that level of achievement will be contagious.

As any parent will tell you, they want what?s best for their children. And when it comes to priorities, it?s common for education to take its place at the top of the list.

The correlation between education and financial stability have been well documented.

Students who drop out of high school, by and large, earn less than students who have completed high school. People who don?t attend college, by and large, earn less than people with a four-year degree.

The further the level of education, for the most part, the higher the salary that person can come to expect. A person with a doctorate degree can usually command a higher salary than a person with a master?s degree.

That?s why education is so vital and it all begins with a solid foundation in elementary school. With the recent announcement by the state, educators at Centertown can feel the satisfaction of a job well done, knowing their school is among the very best.

?We have all worked so hard,? said Centertown principal Janie Moore. ?I?m proud to be a part of this facility and student body.?

This county must continue its commitment to education. That includes better standardized test scores and improved graduation rates.

A 50 state comparison recently released by The Taxpayers Network shows Tennessee ranks near the bottom ? 47th in the nation ? when it comes to high school graduation rate. Only 57 percent of Tennesseans will achieve a high school diploma, according to statistics.

That number is shameful, especially compared to the No. 1 state, New Jersey, which graduates 86 percent of its students.

In other comparisons, Tennessee ranks 35th in average ACT scores and 40th in average math and reading scores. Those aren?t figures to cut out and hang on the refrigerator.

It?s much more enjoyable to praise the efforts of the students at Centertown, who have put in the work required to be recognized as a school in the top 10 percent.

Like losing weight, better test scores don?t happen overnight. It requires setting a goal and taking gradual steps toward reaching that goal.

Most of all, there?s no magic pill to make better test scores appear. What it does take is students who are dedicated to their studies who are placed in an environment conducive to learning.

Centertown Elementary has found that winning mix and deserves recognition for that accomplishment. Congratulations Centertown. May the rest of the schools in this county follow in your footsteps.