If you saw a person drowning, would you throw him a life preserver or would you tell him to swim harder? Or perhaps withdraw the lifeline that he was clinging to?

If you saw a visually impaired person trying to cross a busy street, would you help her or would you tell her she is on her own? Or, to make things worse, take away her cane?

This Indiana teacher responded to another reader to explain how Indiana is punishing schools where the scores are low by withdrawing funding that the school needs to help the children:

The state of Indiana has decided that if a school is struggling to bring test scores up, they LOSE money that might otherwise help provide the resources that low-SES schools lack. When school funding is cut because of scores, the first issue to suffer is the budget for materials. The second – pay for teachers and teachers’ positions. This makes it harder to attract and retain the best teachers, and that contributes to the problem you address.

So the state uses funding to punish schools who need the most help. It’s the proverbial vicious cycle! And this is why many suspect and vocally claim that school reformers are deliberately widening the gap between the haves and have-nots.