Following the theme: charters's good, public schools bad, a newly constituted Los Angeles school board took its first action Wednesday by giving up control of its largest campus, allowing Birmingham High to convert itself into a charter.
In Detroit, even if bankruptcy were not filed immediately, the alternate scenario Bobb has outlined is nearly as drastic, and would all but set the stage for bankruptcy. At a meeting Monday evening at Cass Technical High School, Bobb laid out an “alternative” plan consisting of the mass layoff of school employees resulting in larger class sizes, increasing the number of “public” charter schools and the privatization (outsourcing to the lowest bidder) of services such as transportation, security, maintenance and custodial services.
***The next step in privatization is happening in Detroit. "What he's trying to do is create an all-charter district," she said. "Where is the evidence that charter schools have provided a better academic product?""He's supposed to fix the finances but he's destroying the district," said Dr. Margaret Betts, a DPS board member.
More unnecesary political problems distracting from the real ones. Members of the District of Columbia Council are considering Mayor Adrian Fenty’s budget. In the budget he presented to the Council, the Mayor determined that charters, which educate 33% of D.C. students, should take 100% of his education cuts. Lobbied by D.C.’s public charter schools—publicly funded nonprofit institutions independent of the city government bureaucracy—Council Members agreed to reverse 70% of the Mayor’s anti-charter cuts.
Democracy in education. . . allowed by the corporation? The nation’s preeminent charter school organization, Green Dot Public Schools, and its largest teacher union local, the United Federation of Teachers, signed an innovative and pioneering collective bargaining agreement on June 23 for Green Dot’s New York City charter school. The contract was approved by the Board of Trustees of the Green Dot school on Monday, June 22, and was ratified by the UFT Chapter the following day.
In Chicago millions go to charter school entities that have nothing to do with education and everything to do with politics. "I just felt like $98 million for one entity? What about all these other entities there that deserve some money?" said Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago). "It's kind of hard when all these other schools don't have paid lobbyists."
The highly anticipated teachers’ contract for the Green Dot charter school in the South Bronx, which has been heralded as an innovative collaboration between a Los Angeles-based charter school operator and the union president Randi Weingarten, is expected to be finalized as soon as today. The contract is being closely watched for signs of just how flexibly Weingarten is willing to negotiate a teachers’ contract — eagerly by supporters of looser protections for teachers, and with gritted teeth by veterans who believe strong job security is crucial. The original GreenDot charter schools in Los Angeles raised many veterans’ eyebrows here because the schools’ contracts do not include the concept of “tenure” for more senior teachers. The contracts do guarantee teachers protections against unfair dismissal.
Charter schools, which today only are allowed in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties, have virtually no regulatory oversight beyond their local school boards. Depending on to whom you talk, SB 834 either would strengthen public schools or wipe away decades of progress and begin the slow demise of Oklahoma’s public educational system. For me, the answer is clear: There has never been a greater threat to Oklahoma’s public schools than SB 834.
In Ohio, as in other states, school funding is a serious problem; with charter schools supporters demanding more money, it is even more complicated. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan also was there, although he didn't endorse the governor's education-reform and funding plan or acknowledge the protests from charter-school advocates who say that the plan discriminates against charter schools.
In New York City they call it the charter school invasion. Soon in your own city.
Corrinne Cristofaro, executive director of the Western New York Charter School Coalition. NYSUT currently has over 600,000 members. And, no, they are not all educators. I will let you draw your own conclusions as to why you think NYSUT, which has published an essay illustrating how “charter schools are a failed experiment,” is now representing them as their local union. . . it is becoming apparent to traditional public school teachers and charter school teachers alike that their monies are being used against one another. This is not the mission I paid for.
This article shows how powerful charter school supporters are. Thy win decisive victories without convincing evidence. More Tennessee students would be eligible to attend charter schools under a bill passed by the Senate. The measure sponsored by Republican Sen. Jamie Woodson of Knoxville was approved 22-7 today. Charter schools are funded with state and local tax dollars but don’t have to meet some of the state regulations regular schools do as they try to find innovative ways to improve student learning.
If you don't like the defunding and bashing of public education, embrace yourself; the worst is yet to come. This afternoon New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, and the Rev. Al Sharpton will meet with President Obama to discuss his public education proposals and, to be sure, share some thoughts of their own. The trio, which likely hasn't agreed on much of anything over the years, belongs to the nonprofit Education Equality Project. Sharpton, a former U.S. senate candidate, founded the organization with New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein, who has said that "school reform is...the civil rights issue of our time."
The group's main focus? Closing the achievement gap among America's public school students, an issue bound up in race, class, money and politics.
Teachers of charter schools are private employees . . . funded with public money. After learning that a majority of its teachers had submitted union cards to the state labor board in April, lawyers for Civitas petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hear the case instead. They argued that Civitas teachers are technically private employees, working for a nonprofit, and are not subject to the state labor board’s jurisdiction.
Political influency through federal incentives. Duncan has $5 billion in stimulus funds to grant to school districts that make sweeping changes, and he has said that mayoral control is one change he wants to see in Detroit, a district he called a "national disgrace."
In Memphis, Tennessee, Major Karl Dean wants more children in charter schools. Tennessee Education Association lobbyist Jerry Winters called charter schools "outside operators" and said they would "cherry pick" good students and leave regular public schools in a financial bind. "It opens the state up to cherry picking. They can go out and recruit these kids to blow the tops out of tests. There's no way this bill wouldn't have an enormous financial impact on what I consider to be regular public schools. It might be good politics. But it's not good policy. I find it rather offensive that we have to talk about going outside this state to bring in people to tell us how to run our schools. It's absolutely improper, incorrect. We've got some very smart people in Tennessee who can make the right decisions."
This is a bill that requires parent involment and charter schools are thinking about it, what reasons would they have for not supporting such a common sense idea? “This is not to say we don’t have parents on our boards,” Griffin said. “Some of our boards are all parents, but some have none, and this is their choice. Parental involvement is already so ingrained in our system, it is in our framework, and this bill is overall a misfit for charter schools.” The Colorado League of Charter Schools doesn’t oppose SB 90 in its current form, Griffin said, but it doesn’t endorse it, either.
In New York, this concerned parent asked one of the most important questions about charter schools. Sadly, hers is just another lonely voice or reason that goes unsuported. “What happens if a majority of those charter schools fail — where will these low-income children now go?” cried Ms. Deen. Then she stopped, and blurted: “I don’t know why I’m speaking to you guys, because if you guys have any dissent, you’re not going to be sitting there tomorrow.”
Another political and economic dilema courtesy of charter schools. Let's face it, the proposed Gloucester Community Arts Charter School is coming down the pike at an extremely difficult time. The state would provide the city with additional aid, in diminishing amounts, for the charter school's first three years; the charter school is indeed a public school, it's merely run under the direction of an independent board, and its program are not hamstrung by the teachers' union or other labor groups. But city officials are wary of succeeding years, when Farmer has projected the charter program could drain some $2.4 million annually from the rest of the school district.
Look at the complications that charter schools brought to New Orleans. Far from solving the problems, they have brought some more of their own.The decisions strike at the heart of several core issues facing the charter movement in the city and the country. They raise the question of how boards should weigh parent and staff wishes against hard data on finances and test scores, and of how long a charter school should be given to prove itself. The actions also raise the question of what role boards will ultimately play in overseeing charter schools. So far, at least two charter boards in New Orleans have unexpectedly found themselves taking on much more responsibility after dropping for-profit management companies they hired to handle the daily operations of the schools
The narrative of public schools at its best: more reforms, innefective accountability, charter schools, merit pay. A growing coalition of reformers — from civil rights activist Al Sharpton to Georgia Republican governor Sonny Perdue — believe that some form of common standards is necessary to achieve a wide array of other education reforms, including merit pay for good teachers and the expansion of the role of public charter schools
When are teacher unions going to challenge the current antiteachers narrative?
None of these recent union-busting voices have been as off-key as George W. Bush's Education Secretary, Rod Paige, when he called the largest teachers' union in the U.S., the National Education Association (NEA), a "terrorist organization." However, the similarity of the current tune from corporate education deformers is unmistakable: because teachers have some measure of job security, schools in America are dysfunctional.
This is an excellent article to analyze and discuss with others who care about public education. Ugly but nonetheless necessary. The state’s teacher-union chiefs say such academies would therefore hurt teachers. Larry Purtill, president of National Education Association Rhode Island, warned: “We would see more charter schools where you don’t have to pay a fair wage or quality health care.” Marcia Reback, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, said such schools would, in effect, be private schools funded with taxpayer dollars.
What good would this bill do for public education in Oklahoma? Another charter school driven consequence. As written, SB 834 would give every school district in the state the right to deregulate. The bill would allow school districts to fall under the Charter School Act and pick and choose the mandates they want to meet. That’s right – no accountability and no transparency for patrons. Remember how deregulation got us into trouble on Wall Street? Why would we want that in our schools?
According to the narrative in NY, the (selfish) teachers union is against them. Charter school activists have said that they’re hopeful that Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, who founded another unionized charter school in Queens, will yet restore the extra funds to charter schools, but no deal has been struck yet.
It turns out that charter schools are the victims of a plot that is racist in nature!
The Toledo Journal Staff writes about Gov. Ted Strickland's budget cuts affecting charter schools.
Summary: Public schools bad;charter school good. Need more charter schools. In an ideal world, Rob Rude would send both of his sons to their neighborhood school. But this is Providence, where not all schools are created equal.
Good for UFT's legal actions and arguments. Bad for the pro-charter editorial The libels that charters disadvantage minority students are outrageous. But they're music to the UFT because most charters are not unionized and because charters challenge miserable UFT-staffed schools to do better.
In Arkansas, debate on charter schools. Is this improving public education. A day after the legislative Joint Budget Committee recommended raising the cap on enrollment at the state’s virtual charter school to 1,000, the panel endorsed an amendment Friday to return the cap to 500.
Charter Schools: laboratories, competition, replacements? Laws against them . . . change them! The idea would be to ask voters to approve an amendment to the Arizona Constitution which would allow public money to pay for private school vouchers.
Are charter school accountable? The Portland School Board didn't renew the contract of three-year-old Leadership and Entrepreneurship (LEP) Charter High School on Monday night. But, after hours of discussion, board members encouraged officials at the popular school to file an appeal and keep strengthening the school's budget.
A bill at a time will do the job of destroying public education soon enough. Senate Bill 834 deregulates education in Oklahoma. It removes legislative mandates, which may sound good, but one needs to know that for the last several years we have fought hard to keep money from being diverted from Public Schools to Charter Schools
The United States Supreme Court has recognized that "[n]o single tradition in public education is more deeply rooted than local control over the operation of schools." Local control over the educational process "affords citizens an opportunity to participate in decision making [and] permits the structuring of school programs to fit local needs."
Interesting case in Oklahoma where charter supporters can blow a damaging legal hit to public schools. A group of Oklahoma teachers are spending part of their spring break fighting a bill they say could change the face of public education in Oklahoma.
They also worry how the legislation could impact teacher pay.
Take over schools and imposing board members' term limits. Members of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to officially take over eight Baton Rouge schools, but it was the issue of improving local school boards that caused one board member to disagree with the others.
Who should control the finances of charter schools in Concord? Serious efforts are under way to change the way Concord School Board members are elected and to strip the board of its fiscal autonomy. The efforts are fueled predominantly by opponents of the planned consolidation of the city's elementary schools and a longstanding, mythical belief that the school board is controlled by an elite that ignores the wishes of the citizenry.
Another example of how charter schools do not enjoy popular support. In Marin City, California, school board's handling of this appointment was not a model of community involvement.
In New York, mayor Bloomberg and Education Chancellor Klein have been done everything, including dismantling schools district while forming 300 charter schools. But while state test scores and graduation rates have climbed during his tenure, national tests show eighth graders making no significant progress. Fewer than a third of black and Hispanic high school students earned the more respected Regents diplomas in 2007.
Indianapolis governor does support for schools . . . charter schools. The Ithaca City School District Board of Education approved two policies to exclude charter school and homeschooled students from district extracurricular activities with a vote of 7-2 on both late Tuesday night.
Students from charter schools are de facto not public school students. Indianapolis is the only city in the nation whose mayor has the power to authorize charter schools. Local school boards and state universities also have that power, and Ball State has been particularly active in using it.
In Madison, Wisconsin, both candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction have to support charter schools. In reality, Evers, who is backed by the powerful Wisconsin Education Association Council and other unions involved with the schools, draws a lot of support from Democrats around the state. And virtual schools advocate Fernandez, whose campaign is being run by veteran GOP operatives, tends to draw her support from Republicans.
Governor urges statewide Q Comp on Waseca County New. Minnesota’s Governor Pawlenty’s new recommendations include implementing the Q Comp program statewide. The Q Comp program would give school districts and charter schools more funding (an additional $300 per pupil unit) on the condition that they agree to pay their teachers based on student performance rather than seniority
Teachers at Minnesota charter schools face power struggle . A hazardous profession: Vin McMahon, an ESL teacher at a Minneapolis charter school, was chair of the school board. He wanted to make the school financially stable. Instead, he was laid off.
Former-GOP-insider-Billionaire-Boys-Club-dismantling-public-education. Mayor Bloomberg decided long ago, when he took over New York City’s public schools, that their biggest problem was too much democracy. So he persuaded the legislature to turn control over to him, and he eliminated any vestige of democracy. Most bizarre is when the mayor and chancellor show up at charter school rallies and tell the parents that their local public schools are no good and that they are lucky to be in a charter.
Almanac : State panel recommends Everest charter. The Sequoia board rejected Everest on a 4-1 vote in September, as did the San Mateo County Board of Education on a 5-2 vote in December.
Charter schools score in budget - The Boston Globe.Governor Deval Patrick, who has consistently opposed raising the cap on the number of charter schools, will dramatically change course in the budget he releases today, allowing for more charters in low-performing districts as long as these new schools try to help the most vulnerable students.
Jackson Free Press: Jackson, Mississippi - Talk - State - Week 3: Schools, Dialysis and Unions. With Mississippi’s current charter school law set to expire in July, the Senate moved Monday to authorize more charter schools in the state.
The Ithacan Online | Charter school to open - January 29th, 2009. Despite efforts by community members and the Ithaca City School District to suspend funding for the newly-approved New Roots Charter School, the board of trustees has made its decision and the school’s plans will continue.
Fear a weak argument against deregulation plan In Oklahoma the bill would let selected — and eventually all — schools operate much like charter schools. They would receive state funding but could bypass many mandates.
Who’s lobbying the DOE? « Public Eyes on Public School. Considering all of the controversy surrounding charter schools in New York City right now, it would be interesting for someone to search the lobbying database for other charter school operators and see how many of them have lobbied the City Council or the Department of Education in recent years.
It's Time to Accept the Reality That the D.C. School Voucher Movement Has Hit a Dead End Voters have rejected voucher plans every time they have appeared on state ballots. The margin against them was 2 to 1 in California and Michigan in 2000.
Bill would force sale of city schools to charters Five area state legislators — two suburban Republicans and three St. Louis Democrats — gathered Monday in front of a boarded-up school in north St. Louis to promote a bill that would stop the city district from barring the sales of closed buildings to other school groups.
Catholic schools can become charter schools, just like that! In New York, with a mayor controlling public education, everything is possible.When Mayor Bloomberg announced his intention to turn four struggling Catholic schools into charter schools, observers assumed that the plan would require a change in state law. The law currently bars private schools from becoming schools that are funded with public dollars.
Charter proponents against school district. A hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for March 27 at the Simi Valley courthouse. Prop. 39, which passed in 2000 and took effect in 2003, requires a school district to provide a charter school with facilities if the charter has a projected average daily attendance of at least 80 students from that district.
The Duncan Banner - Senate bills could affect public schools. Although public schools and charter schools do share some requirements, charter schools have many areas that are optional. For instance, charter schools don’t have to require personnel to have a valid license or certificate.
What happens in states without this protective laws? Arizona Constitution specifically prohibits giving public money in any form to private and parochial schools