I'm sorry to hear about what is going on w charter schools. We had a very different experience. In fact, we were founders of a charter school. But first, let me say that almost nothing upsets me more than the idea of my tax dollars being diverted to private schools. That's another rant . . . And what is going on in LA is a disaster!
After living in multicultural Los Angeles for 12 years, I found myself living in a largely white enclave in CT w two small children. Wanting them to grow up in a diversified environment, we sought out an elementary public multicultural magnet school in New London, CT. The school was regional, drawing students from 12 towns, and located in a more urban area. The student population was designed to reflect the ethnic diversity of the region, in the same proportions. Admission is through a lottery, based only on race; white applicants from the burbs have the least competition. (BTW: this school was NOT formed to satisfy any desegregation problems. It was formed because some parents got together and thought it was a good idea--something charter/magnet schools make possible.)
We were happy w it. It's test scores were not great (because the population was so diversified, including recent immigrants), but as long as my kids' scores were good, they were learning what they needed, academically. Classes were small, and both of my kids had true bi-lingual ed (Spanish) starting in kindergarten. The school was primarily run by teachers, with a a lot of parent involvement.
When they were close to finishing, a bunch of us got together w some faculty from Conn College, and petitioned the state to start a multicultural charter middle school, modeled on the elementary school. It was an involved process. We found a very dynamic director and were really happy w it, until about the time my second child finished (The director was leaving, and a coupe took place. But that's another story.) This school was run by a parent-teacher-director board. The school is over ten years old now, and has a new director now who is supposed to be pretty good.
I know these schools reached some kids who would not have made it in the regular public schools--and some of them are now in college. I also think all of the kids benefitted from mixing all of the races and economic levels -- at least I hope so. My youngest took some kind of test in late middle school that measured ethnic identification, and she scored fairly high on African American! :-). She does have good social instincts and neither of them seems to give race a second thought.
And they are both Dems--one more passionate than the other.
Long story, but this is a topic close to my heart. I do understand how these schools can also be abused by those who want to profit from them. . . But they can also work.
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
I would not necessarily want to question the competence & good faith efforts of every single charter school and whatever group of supporters it may have, but the charter school movement as a national movement is mostly a stalking horse for privatizing public education, using commercially developed standards that are more molded by the bottom line & local prejudices than by educational outcomes--but still funded by taxpayer dollars. And I believe this is true, even if the charter school is still actually part of a public school district.Here's one instance reported in Daily Kos:http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/05/1117114/-How-to-Destroy-a-Top-Notch-School-District-Open-a-Charter-SchoolIn a rather clear example of Naomi Klein's notion of *Disaster Capitalism,"*after Katrina, Louisiana chose to solve its public school problems by a massive effort to implement charter schools in New Orleans and throughout the state.So here's some raked muck concerning Louisiana's project: http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/2011/07/gulen-charter-schools-in-louisiana.htmlCertainly, the Louisiana public schools were not the best to begin with--but I put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the spirit of localism that pervades U.S. ideas about education & which also infects the charter school movement at the root.Minimally, at least, I would like to see a core national curriculum developed and applied throughout the country.In my more extreme moments, I sometimes assert I would like to see the nation's educational system run by a powerful rigid bureaucracy headquartered in DC, and run by mostly by teachers & with a minor advisory role for parents--but otherwise insensitive to them and the local communities. I think I'm mostly joking. Most of the time.In any case, charter schools are an inadequate or pseudo-solution to most of the large issues in public education.R.
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