Republished from The St. Louis American

Recent polls show that only about one in four Americans think K-12 education is headed in the right direction, and just 16% say the system is on the right track. Families still tend to trust their own child’s school more than “the system,” but when state reports say most schools are “meeting expectations” while children struggle with basic reading and math, that trust is tested.

Transparency is one way to start rebuilding it. Clear, simple school report cards are not about blaming schools or teachers. They are about giving families and communities straightforward information so they can stand alongside educators and push for the support students need.

Other states show what’s possible when transparency and community engagement go hand in hand. A decade ago, Mississippi ranked near the bottom in reading. Then state leaders adopted a clear A-F school accountability system tied to whether students were on grade level and whether the most vulnerable students were catching up.

Over time, Mississippi’s fourth graders made the largest gains in the nation and now meet or exceed the national average in reading and math. That progress happened by putting honest data in front of families, educators and policymakers and acting on it year after year.

That shift is already underway in Missouri. In December, the State Board of Education voted to direct the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to begin creating new school report cards; the governor reinforced that priority through an executive order; and the Missouri legislature recently heard an accompanying bill, modeled after Mississippi, in its education committee.

Together, those actions signal growing recognition that families deserve clearer, more honest information about school performance.

St. Louis should embrace this change. In a city where progress has not been shared equally and where Black children too often attend schools with the fewest resources and the lowest scores, honest report cards can be a tool for justice.

When families can clearly see how their school is performing, they can ask sharper questions, advocate for proven reading instruction and press for changes before another generation falls behind. Churches, neighborhood groups and employers can use the same information to target tutoring, mentorship and investment where it will make the most difference.

Many of us are proud graduates of local public schools that helped shape who we are. That pride is real, and it should sit alongside a clear, honest picture of how our children are doing.

Supporting school report cards does not mean turning against schools we love. It means caring enough to ask for clarity and improvement. Transparency is not punishment — it is a promise that we will not look away when children are being underserved.

School report cards are not the finish line, but they are an important first step toward rebuilding trust and giving parents and communities the tools they need to help schools deliver the futures our children deserve. As James Baldwin once said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

Keith Williamson is president of the Centene Charitable Foundation and board chair of The Opportunity Trust.