NYT article on Walton-funded spread of charter schools in DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to admit, I'm going to think of Mundo Verde differently after this.

Bullshit. MV isn't even mentioned in the article.

You're a teachers-union charter-hater and this is your dog food. Eat up, but don't expect anyone else to be fooled that's it some sort of gourmet offering.

And what are you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to admit, I'm going to think of Mundo Verde differently after this.

My husband still doesn't approve (for all the reasons mentioned in the article) but I am glad that I prevailed and sent our kid to MV because our local DCPS is not an option and I don't have the time or energy to invest in it. Ideological purity is not worth risking my child's education. Call me a hypocrite.

The charter movement thrives on parents like you.

I hope you're more parents like your husband, and that they ultimately prevail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to admit, I'm going to think of Mundo Verde differently after this.

My husband still doesn't approve (for all the reasons mentioned in the article) but I am glad that I prevailed and sent our kid to MV because our local DCPS is not an option and I don't have the time or energy to invest in it. Ideological purity is not worth risking my child's education. Call me a hypocrite.

The charter movement thrives on parents like you.

I hope you're more parents like your husband, and that they ultimately prevail.

Prevail at what, exactly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to admit, I'm going to think of Mundo Verde differently after this.[/quot

You cannot single MV out. I now that YY also received Walmart grant and DCI has applied for such a grant. I applaud the school for seeking out these additional resources. They are not alone. If your child is at a. Barter school, are you sure the school has not sought, if not received a walmart educational grant?

On a different topic. I wonder how many anti-walmart people were happy when their cash strapped charters received walmart grants. I bet many do not recognize their hypocrisy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I too am still processing....

Interesting analogy from a professor (who seems objective-although objectivity is really hard to find in this can of worms):

“When lots of charter schools open up, it’s like a new Walmart store moving in,” said Kevin G. Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center at University of Colorado in Boulder. “You could look at it and say, ‘Well, the schools in a community are losing families because of healthy competition the same way that the hardware store is losing customers because of healthy competition.’ But that doesn’t take into account the long-term harms to the community, which are probably greater than any short-term benefit.”

I wish they published more from him about the "long term harms". Do public schools completely crumble? Or can they somehow be built up to "compete" with charters?

This is a great article, has me thinking about both sides of this coin.

I also think it is a great quote and analogy. I see truth in it, but I am like Mr Robinson in the article. I am torn, but I have to do what is best for my child while everybody is fighting and trying to figure it out. So while my child is thriving in a charter, my neighborhood school languish. My child's test scores would have helped the neighborhood school, as would my volunteerism and donations, but I saw no path to languages or STEM at the school. The neighborhood schools must offer one if not both opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to admit, I'm going to think of Mundo Verde differently after this.

My husband still doesn't approve (for all the reasons mentioned in the article) but I am glad that I prevailed and sent our kid to MV because our local DCPS is not an option and I don't have the time or energy to invest in it. Ideological purity is not worth risking my child's education. Call me a hypocrite.

The charter movement thrives on parents like you.

I hope you're more parents like your husband, and that they ultimately prevail.

What, responsible moms seeking quality education for their children rather than allowing their children to be sacrificed to the selfish and non service oriented institutions of the publics and the unions. Why should she sacrifice her kid for that? She is no hypocrite at all. It is an outrage she should have to present her total righteous position in an apologetic way.

DC public schools have been a scandal for decades. Suddenly it is all make believe it was better before? There was a vacuum. In came the money to meet the demand. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I too am still processing....

Interesting analogy from a professor (who seems objective-although objectivity is really hard to find in this can of worms):

“When lots of charter schools open up, it’s like a new Walmart store moving in,” said Kevin G. Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center at University of Colorado in Boulder. “You could look at it and say, ‘Well, the schools in a community are losing families because of healthy competition the same way that the hardware store is losing customers because of healthy competition.’ But that doesn’t take into account the long-term harms to the community, which are probably greater than any short-term benefit.”

I wish they published more from him about the "long term harms". Do public schools completely crumble? Or can they somehow be built up to "compete" with charters?

This is a great article, has me thinking about both sides of this coin.

There was plenty of long term harm before charters entered the scene to shake thing up and provide previously unavailable choices.

[Anonymous]

Thank you to the Walton Foundation for helping provide educational opportunities that our elected leaders failed at for decades.

[Anonymous]

For those of you interested in the hearing more from the other side of the coin, I encourage you to read Diane Ravitch's blog.

http://dianeravitch.net

She has been an educator and worked in education for the majority of her career. The link to her bio follows, but this is her in a nutshell:


While she originally supported No Child Left Behind and charter schools, Ravitch later became "disillusioned," and wrote, "I no longer believe that either approach will produce the quantum improvement in American education that we all hope for." In the major national evaluation, 17% of charters got higher scores, 46% were no different, and 37% were significantly worse than public schools, she said. High-stakes testing, "utopian" goals, "draconian" penalties, school closings, privatization, and charter schools didn't work, she concluded. "The best predictor of low academic performance is poverty—not bad teachers."

http://dianeravitch.com/about-diane/

[Anonymous]

7:59 here

This is a link to the study referenced from the Wiki page above (should have noted it). Looks like it has been updated since the original study but probably an interesting read. At any rate, Diane Ravitch, even if you don't agree with her, will give you a lot to think about.


http://credo.stanford.edu/documents/UNEMBARGOED%20National%20Charter%20Study%20Press%20Release.pdf

[Anonymous]

The only way to truly level the playing field would be to make private schools illegal which is impossible. Public education is probably doomed regardless how much money is thrown at the problem.

But good for all those self promoters cashing in, Michelle Rhee probably never dreamed she would have it so good and be a nationally known figure for being so controversial. Just a couple short years as an educator in TFA and now she's an expert on education reform.

[Anonymous]

Charters are definitely a mixed bag. Are these foundations going to continue to fund the charter movement forever or will they pull back once they sufficiently cripple their union opponents?

On the other hand, 9/10 of the kids at my Ward 8 church attend charters because their local school was bad and they didn't have the means to do the cross river or cross town commute every day.

[Anonymous]

I would never send my kid to a school funded by Walmart/Walton. Shame on MV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to admit, I'm going to think of Mundo Verde differently after this.

My husband still doesn't approve (for all the reasons mentioned in the article) but I am glad that I prevailed and sent our kid to MV because our local DCPS is not an option and I don't have the time or energy to invest in it. Ideological purity is not worth risking my child's education. Call me a hypocrite.

I prefer to call you a parent who cares about getting the best possible education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never send my kid to a school funded by Walmart/Walton. Shame on MV.

But it sounds like Walmart money is all over the DC charters, MV was just one of the schools that was named. Is that information available to the public?

And for that matter, there is lots of other money floating around the charters...THAT IS THE POINT...don't you think Abby Smith and Kaya Henderson know about ALL THAT MONEY?