Emma Brown in Washington Post -- Limiting Charter Schools

[Anonymous]

Looks like open war on charter schools. The unions have not had such a good Sunday in a long, long time.

http://m.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-debates-growth-of-charter-schools/2013/02/10/31344456-6b42-11e2-af53-7b2b2a7510a8_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like open war on charter schools. The unions have not had such a good Sunday in a long, long time.

http://m.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-debates-growth-of-charter-schools/2013/02/10/31344456-6b42-11e2-af53-7b2b2a7510a8_story.html

Did we read the same article? I didn't see anything about open war. If Scott Pearson is right, and charter schools grow by 8% next year to 38,000 students (out of 80,000 public school students) then the charters should be bigger than DCPS in just 2 more years. That's not my idea of open war, at least not a successfully waged one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like open war on charter schools. The unions have not had such a good Sunday in a long, long time.

http://m.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-debates-growth-of-charter-schools/2013/02/10/31344456-6b42-11e2-af53-7b2b2a7510a8_story.html

Did we read the same article? I didn't see anything about open war. If Scott Pearson is right, and charter schools grow by 8% next year to 38,000 students (out of 80,000 public school students) then the charters should be bigger than DCPS in just 2 more years. That's not my idea of open war, at least not a successfully waged one.

Stopping or slowing down payments for facilities will cause charter school defaults and stop higher performing charter schools from opening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like open war on charter schools. The unions have not had such a good Sunday in a long, long time.

http://m.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-debates-growth-of-charter-schools/2013/02/10/31344456-6b42-11e2-af53-7b2b2a7510a8_story.html

Did we read the same article? I didn't see anything about open war. If Scott Pearson is right, and charter schools grow by 8% next year to 38,000 students (out of 80,000 public school students) then the charters should be bigger than DCPS in just 2 more years. That's not my idea of open war, at least not a successfully waged one.

Stopping or slowing down payments for facilities will cause charter school defaults and stop higher performing charter schools from opening.

It's a piece of spaghetti thrown at the wall, not an articulated policy with political support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like open war on charter schools. The unions have not had such a good Sunday in a long, long time.

http://m.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-debates-growth-of-charter-schools/2013/02/10/31344456-6b42-11e2-af53-7b2b2a7510a8_story.html

Did we read the same article? I didn't see anything about open war. If Scott Pearson is right, and charter schools grow by 8% next year to 38,000 students (out of 80,000 public school students) then the charters should be bigger than DCPS in just 2 more years. That's not my idea of open war, at least not a successfully waged one.

Stopping or slowing down payments for facilities will cause charter school defaults and stop higher performing charter schools from opening.

It's a piece of spaghetti thrown at the wall, not an articulated policy with political support.

If Wells will stop saying this sort of stuff, we will all be better able to focus on helping DC's kids. Maybe it is coming from Alexander but it needs to stop and Catania needs to keep his education committee in line.

[Anonymous]

It's funny how people hate success. I don't hate successful DCPS schools or wish to put obstacles in their way. And I think there is plenty of room left for less successful DCPS to better find ways to improve. Let's start by giving them the tax surplus to spend as they think best fits the need of the school (with reporting so no money goes into pockets)

[Anonymous]

If the so-called "activists" are so worried about losing so many students to charters, rather than putting barriers up to charter expansion, they should instead be looking to improve what they have. All they have to do, in order to understand why so many are leaving for charters is study all of the comments left by so many parents who've left or bypassed traditional DCPS schools for charters - for example the DCPS schools not meeting their child's needs, or being an outright horror story in terms of bad behavior and poor education received. Fix THAT. If you try to just force parents back into DCPS schools rather than EARNING them back, all you will get is deep resentment and a return to flight from the city. Anyone who doesn't understand that is truly a clueless fool who is politically tonedeaf, someone who truly does not understand what it will take to move the city and its school system forward.

[Anonymous]

Has there ever been an accurate measure of demand? Realistically, how many seats will be available if every charter maxed out the capacity projected in their applications?

Does anyone actually know the following

a) The overlap of waitlists in DCPS and charters. Consider just Spanish programs: Oyster, Bancroft, Reed, Powell, Cleveland, Bruce Monroe, Tyler, Mundo Verde, DC Bilingual, LAMB, Stokes, BASIS (so they say), DCI (if it starts). For example, take one kid applying to all the PK programs at these schools. Each of 11 schools could claim that 1 child as proof of demand for their school to justify growth. In reality, many parents are only really interested in two or maybe three of the 11. Let alone the English only schools they could apply to.

b) The extent of musical chairs. How many students are moved around from charter to DCPS, within DCPS via OOB, among charters, leave after K, October switches-post count day, etc

c) How many multi-system families are out there? One in charter, other in DCPS, early grades DCPS in bounds, flee to charter for higher grades, etc.

d) What's the tipping point for performance? Tier 1 only for charters? 70%+ proficiency for DCPS? What would it take to get you to switch

It's starting to look like tragedy of the commons for funding and facilities.

Somebody has to have visibility over the education resources citywide. OSSE? (Heaven forbid)

My understanding is the Boston, NYC and elsewhere the public school superintendents have chartering authority for the purpose of avoiding over/under used spaces.

Would it work in DC?

[Anonymous]

DCPS is already one of the most well-funded (on a money spent per student basis) districts in the nation. More funding is not the answer. The key is in getting people to actually listen to what parents want and need, and providing it. People are bailing out of DCPS schools in droves because they don't feel DCPS can meet their students needs. It's as simple as that. For every charter student enrolled, there is a story out there about why they left or bypassed DCPS. But sadly DCPS, council and anti-charter activists have not listened and show no interest in listening any time in the near future. As such, there can be no reasonable expectation that the deep problems in DCPS will ever be solved anytime in the near future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS is already one of the most well-funded (on a money spent per student basis) districts in the nation. More funding is not the answer. The key is in getting people to actually listen to what parents want and need, and providing it. People are bailing out of DCPS schools in droves because they don't feel DCPS can meet their students needs. It's as simple as that. For every charter student enrolled, there is a story out there about why they left or bypassed DCPS. But sadly DCPS, council and anti-charter activists have not listened and show no interest in listening any time in the near future. As such, there can be no reasonable expectation that the deep problems in DCPS will ever be solved anytime in the near future.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS is already one of the most well-funded (on a money spent per student basis) districts in the nation. More funding is not the answer. The key is in getting people to actually listen to what parents want and need, and providing it. People are bailing out of DCPS schools in droves because they don't feel DCPS can meet their students needs. It's as simple as that. For every charter student enrolled, there is a story out there about why they left or bypassed DCPS. But sadly DCPS, council and anti-charter activists have not listened and show no interest in listening any time in the near future. As such, there can be no reasonable expectation that the deep problems in DCPS will ever be solved anytime in the near future.

This. DCPS continues not to listen to what parents need. They continue to think that every neighborhood school should and can serve every neighborhood student. That will never work. Create a school for children who can not behave in a normal environment. Create a school for children with special needs. Create a school for children who are gifted. Then let the neighborhood schools start to work for the majority of the students in the neighborhood. If you skip these steps and continue to act as if every child needs the exact same environment, anyone with choices will leave. Cutting out the choices in the city will not drive the families with choices to the bad schools, it will drive them out completely. Why do they not realize that these things are related?

[Anonymous]

Charter schools are the nail salons of education. Everywhere you look, there is one here and there. They serve the rich and poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS is already one of the most well-funded (on a money spent per student basis) districts in the nation. More funding is not the answer. The key is in getting people to actually listen to what parents want and need, and providing it. People are bailing out of DCPS schools in droves because they don't feel DCPS can meet their students needs. It's as simple as that. For every charter student enrolled, there is a story out there about why they left or bypassed DCPS. But sadly DCPS, council and anti-charter activists have not listened and show no interest in listening any time in the near future. As such, there can be no reasonable expectation that the deep problems in DCPS will ever be solved anytime in the near future.

Anonymous wrote:This. DCPS continues not to listen to what parents need. They continue to think that every neighborhood school should and can serve every neighborhood student. That will never work. Create a school for children who can not behave in a normal environment. Create a school for children with special needs. Create a school for children who are gifted. Then let the neighborhood schools start to work for the majority of the students in the neighborhood. If you skip these steps and continue to act as if every child needs the exact same environment, anyone with choices will leave. Cutting out the choices in the city will not drive the families with choices to the bad schools, it will drive them out completely. Why do they not realize that these things are related?

This city still lacks the sophistication to discern what is fair and what is equal. Far too much energy is expounded on dissing Wilson and Deal for their strength, and asserting that Wilson's strength is unjust in light of other schools and their weaker position. Many/most would rather have things be "equal" versus fair. See page three of the DCPS Hopes and Dreams report: http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Files/downloads/ABOUT%20DCPS/Strategic%20Documents/DCPS-Report-Hopes-and-Dreams.pdf

http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Files/downloads/ABOUT%20DCPS/Strategic%20Documents/DCPS-Report-Hopes-and-Dreams.pdf

[Anonymous]

You do realize that if everyone went to charters they'd be as bad as DCPS; because Charters don't take everyone they are able to work with the motivated, well-behaved, high achievers, and hard workers. Without DCPS you wouldn't have successful Charters!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You do realize that if everyone went to charters they'd be as bad as DCPS; because Charters don't take everyone they are able to work with the motivated, well-behaved, high achievers, and hard workers. Without DCPS you wouldn't have successful Charters!!!!

Charters got the motivated, the well behaved, the hard workers and high achievers because DCPS wasn't meeting their needs. But then again, DCPS doesn't seem to meet the needs of the remainder that they have, either.