Fiction

By: Kenzie Isensee

Dr. Jon Jones, of the US Department of Education, recently visited Sparta High School to address the unilateral change that will be occurring at Sparta High School on February 1, 2011.

Jones was elected by President Barack Obama in December of 2010. Due to the fact that text scores are not improving, have been dropping in the last three years, all the teachers at Sparta High School are being fired and replaced. The teachers replacing them will be brought in throughout all the states, certified, and will be paid by the government. Dr. Jon Jones explains, "Their pay will go through their contract year, but on July 30, 2011 they will no longer be employed by the Sparta High School. " Jones also says,"We will keep bringing in new teachers until there is a drastic improvement in scores by all students, special education and regular education, by at least 25%."

The school day will start at 7:45 like it currently does, but will not end until 5pm. There will be non local police officers patrolling the school, and enforcing the attendance by all students. An infirmary will be available for students who are ill, so they can still attend and get an education. The school year will go until July 1. If there is improvement, the school year will not start back up until September 1, but if there is no improvement school will start back up on July 11. Jones explains, "We believe we can get grades and graduation rates to improve." Jones also explains,"It will be mandatory for students to attend school, and the officers will be there to enforce that." There will be no open campus, longer class periods, and study halls will be taken out. Grad Group, however, will still be as normal. Advanced Placement classes will still be available, and they are looking to make more AP Classes. Jones explains,"Lunch will be by classes, or if need we can bring a sack lunch to you. This will help with the obesity problem."

Work permits and co-curriculars will be suspended until improvement is seen among all students. Jones Says,"The students are our future, and they need to be focusing on school. This will not affect seniors due to the fact that college does not start up until August."

Math, Science and reading are the courses that need to improve the most. These topics are touched on in the ACT. Jones explains," We are not real concerned about the history scores, sense it is not touched on in the ACT." There will still be final exams to determine what a child has learned. The funding will come from the government and this will not affect the tax payers. Jones goes onto say,"Cost is not a factor. Education is the most important factor, and these kids are our future." This change is not state wide, Sparta is the only school on Wisconsin doing this."

Jones finishes by saying,"We need to go back to old school education. The money to pay for books will be provided by the government, and technology will be thrown out. We cannot wait any longer"