Wake Forest Magazine June 2003 - Past Issues - Wake Forest ...

C l a s s N o t e s
Head
of the
class
Mark Christie (’75) raised Virginia’s educational
standards, then helped the system meet them.
By Bruce Buchanan (’93)
As president of the Virginia
Board of Education, Mark
Christie (’75) has overseen some of
the biggest changes in the history of
the state’s schools—as well as some
of the greatest academic gains in
state history. He’s also garnered
national attention as a leader in educational
reform.
Come June, though, Christie plans to leave the state board
and return to teaching and practicing law. While he is quick to
deflect any personal credit for Virginia’s scholastic success, he
can’t help but be proud at what the schools have accomplished.
Five years ago, only 2 percent of the commonwealth’s schools
met new state academic goals, which are largely measured by
standardized tests. This year, two-thirds met that benchmark
and Virginia students have made significant gains on the
National Assessment of Education Progress, a battery of standardized
tests given to students across the country.
Much of Christie’s work on the board—and even before—has
been devoted to the Standards of Learning, Virginia’s high-stakes
student testing program. “It’s dominated my life since the early
1990s,” he said. The Standards of Learning evaluate schools by
testing students in core academic subjects, including reading,
math, science, and history. The idea behind the standards is that
by raising expectations and holding schools accountable for
results, performance will improve, as students work harder and
teachers focus on academics.
“School accreditation previously had not been based on student
achievement,” Christie said. “It was based on the number
of books in the library, if you have enough fire drills, that sort
of thing.”
The tougher standards initially generated a wave of criticism
from some teachers and parents. But the program also improved
academic performance and now, even critics begrudgingly admit
that Virginia’s schools are doing better now than before the
Standards of Learning were implemented.
“Mark has held steadfast to his belief that we need accountability
for our children,” said Sue Glasco, former president of the
Virginia PTA. “Parents have come around to realize this is in
the best interests of our children.”
Jo Lynne DeMary, Virginia’s state schools superintendent, said
Christie deserves a lot of credit for helping make the Standards of
Learning a nationally recognized success. “A lot of it has to do
with his passion that this is the right thing to do for the students
of the commonwealth,” she said.
Christie has plenty of opportunities to bring about change on
the state board. Virginia’s Constitution gives the state Board of
Education more power than many state boards. In fact, it is the
only board prescribed by a state constitution. During Christie’s
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