NYTimes story - At a Success Academy Charter School, Singling Out Pupils Who Have ‘Got to Go’

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a taxpayer and supporter of public schools I am outraged that Charter Schools weed out the worst behaved students while taking the cream of the crop. Then the Charter Schools gloat about how well they do. On the other hand I really feel for the well-behaved, poor inner city students whose parents are trying to get their kids a good education. They don't have the money for private school and can't afford to move. They have a right to an education without disruptive kids spitting, throwing pencils and snow globes in the class, hitting, biting, running in and out of the classroom, and screaming as the "got to go" kids were doing on a very frequent basis. It was a win for those kids and parents who wanted a better education. How long would most DCUM readers who have kids keep them in a school where there were so many disruptive kids? I certainly would pull my kid out and pay for a private school. T

I understand this, but people should stop gloating and praising charters for doing a better job. They are not. They simply do not have to deal with the difficulties that a traditional public school deals with. It's easy to say that the Latins, Basis, YYs and what not do such a great job. Yeah. Those schools don't have to deal with he educational or behavior issues often found in the students you described PP.

Signed,
Charter School parent who did not want my child in the environment you described PP and knew that it was charter or parochial for my DC because I could not foot a private school bill. The charter experience is almost as equal if not equal to a parochial education. And yes, the charter school does make it difficult for some students to remain. They have their ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a taxpayer and supporter of public schools I am outraged that Charter Schools weed out the worst behaved students while taking the cream of the crop. Then the Charter Schools gloat about how well they do. On the other hand I really feel for the well-behaved, poor inner city students whose parents are trying to get their kids a good education. They don't have the money for private school and can't afford to move. They have a right to an education without disruptive kids spitting, throwing pencils and snow globes in the class, hitting, biting, running in and out of the classroom, and screaming as the "got to go" kids were doing on a very frequent basis. It was a win for those kids and parents who wanted a better education. How long would most DCUM readers who have kids keep them in a school where there were so many disruptive kids? I certainly would pull my kid out and pay for a private school. T

There's the rub, of course. Either disruptive kids need to be aggressively removed from classrooms, or the education of the rest of the class is going to suffer. Pick one. Everything else is basically fairy dust or wishful thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Throwing chairs? Hurting other students? Got to go.

These are children. Do you have a plan for them -- an actual, workable plan for them -- or are you just booting them out because you think they're not your problem or your responsibility?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I wonder how the reporters got hold of this document:

"At Success Academy Fort Greene, the same day that Ms. Ogundiran heard from the principal, her daughter’s name was one of 16 placed on a list drawn up at his direction and shared by school leaders.
The heading on the list was “Got to Go.”

Isn't this exactly what SWS and Banneker do, and part of the reason why they are great schools?

Why the fake outrage about charters?

The real outrage should zoom in those schools, charter or not, failing most students -- DCPS schools, more often than not.

[Anonymous]

First of all, I GUARANTEE you there was a lot more going on than "she wouldn't keep her hands folded in her lap." GUARANTEE IT 110%. It's an attack piece on charters (and yes, there is an anti-charter agenda) and I wager they are not telling the full story.

Now, let's take a step back and look at the fundamentals here.

Bet you dollars to donuts that the kids that are acting out and/or struggling with the curriculum DON'T WANT TO BE AT THE CHARTER. So why force it? And why freak out about the fact that they are going back to the regular school?

As for special needs, why try and force a kid with special needs into a charter system that is far less well resourced and staffed for dealing with special needs than the regular school system is?

[Anonymous]

I have long felt that DC public schools should aggressively weed out OOB/feeder students who have a consistently bad record of discipline problems and poor performance. Why should they disrupt things for other students and warm seats that could otherwise be used by deserving kids who would love to work hard and learn?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I wonder how the reporters got hold of this document:

"At Success Academy Fort Greene, the same day that Ms. Ogundiran heard from the principal, her daughter’s name was one of 16 placed on a list drawn up at his direction and shared by school leaders.
The heading on the list was “Got to Go.”

Isn't this exactly what SWS and Banneker do, and part of the reason why they are great schools?

Why the fake outrage about charters?
The real outrage should zoom in those schools, charter or not, failing most students -- DCPS schools, more often than not.

Why is it fake outrage? I think it's real outrage. Of course charter schools will do better than regular public schools if charter schools can just kick the problem students out and back to the regular public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First of all, I GUARANTEE you there was a lot more going on than "she wouldn't keep her hands folded in her lap." GUARANTEE IT 110%. It's an attack piece on charters (and yes, there is an anti-charter agenda) and I wager they are not telling the full story.

Now, let's take a step back and look at the fundamentals here.

Bet you dollars to donuts that the kids that are acting out and/or struggling with the curriculum DON'T WANT TO BE AT THE CHARTER. So why force it? And why freak out about the fact that they are going back to the regular school?

As for special needs, why try and force a kid with special needs into a charter system that is far less well resourced and staffed for dealing with special needs than the regular school system is?

Aren't charters schools public schools? Why don't they serve all who get in through the lottery process just like neighborhood schools serve all who live IB? Why shouldn't they have to work with disruptive students? Why shouldn't they develop programs for SN kids just like the regular public schools? Why shouldn't they have to fill their empty seats throughout the year just as traditional public schools take new students throughout the year? Are charters really public schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I wonder how the reporters got hold of this document:

"At Success Academy Fort Greene, the same day that Ms. Ogundiran heard from the principal, her daughter’s name was one of 16 placed on a list drawn up at his direction and shared by school leaders.
The heading on the list was “Got to Go.”

Isn't this exactly what SWS and Banneker do, and part of the reason why they are great schools?

Why the fake outrage about charters?
The real outrage should zoom in those schools, charter or not, failing most students -- DCPS schools, more often than not.

Why is it fake outrage? I think it's real outrage. Of course charter schools will do better than regular public schools if charter schools can just kick the problem students out and back to the regular public schools.

Because that's about as stupid as saying that "Of course Banneker will do better than regular public schools if Banneker can just kick the problem students out and back to the regular public schools"

Banneker and SWW and many charters do a great job precisely because they work hard to maintain high standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I wonder how the reporters got hold of this document:

"At Success Academy Fort Greene, the same day that Ms. Ogundiran heard from the principal, her daughter’s name was one of 16 placed on a list drawn up at his direction and shared by school leaders.
The heading on the list was “Got to Go.”

Isn't this exactly what SWS and Banneker do, and part of the reason why they are great schools?

Why the fake outrage about charters?
The real outrage should zoom in those schools, charter or not, failing most students -- DCPS schools, more often than not.

Why is it fake outrage? I think it's real outrage. Of course charter schools will do better than regular public schools if charter schools can just kick the problem students out and back to the regular public schools.

Because that's about as stupid as saying that "Of course Banneker will do better than regular public schools if Banneker can just kick the problem students out and back to the regular public schools"

Banneker and SWW and many charters do a great job precisely because they work hard to maintain high standards.

Including kicking out the problem students.

But the regular public schools can't kick out the problem students. If the regular public schools could kick out the problem students to charter schools, how do you think the comparison between charter schools and regular public schools would work out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I wonder how the reporters got hold of this document:

"At Success Academy Fort Greene, the same day that Ms. Ogundiran heard from the principal, her daughter’s name was one of 16 placed on a list drawn up at his direction and shared by school leaders.
The heading on the list was “Got to Go.”

Isn't this exactly what SWS and Banneker do, and part of the reason why they are great schools?

Why the fake outrage about charters?
The real outrage should zoom in those schools, charter or not, failing most students -- DCPS schools, more often than not.

Why is it fake outrage? I think it's real outrage. Of course charter schools will do better than regular public schools if charter schools can just kick the problem students out and back to the regular public schools.

Because that's about as stupid as saying that "Of course Banneker will do better than regular public schools if Banneker can just kick the problem students out and back to the regular public schools"

Banneker and SWW and many charters do a great job precisely because they work hard to maintain high standards.

Including kicking out the problem students.

But the regular public schools can't kick out the problem students. If the regular public schools could kick out the problem students to charter schools, how do you think the comparison between charter schools and regular public schools would work out?

It wouldn't

[Anonymous]

I haven't read all the posts here, but in the DCPS forum, someone said that the charters are used as a "release valve" here. Not a place for all students but as an option for families that want a good education for their children so their kids aren't stuck in failing schools. There are so many people on the education forums lately saying if a kid doesn't want to learn or is disruptive then let them leave and allow the other kids to get a decent education. Seems to me that is exactly what charters are doing. Letting kids that want to learn, learn. It's hard to begrudge a student an education for the sake of some sort of feigned equality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read all the posts here, but in the DCPS forum, someone said that the charters are used as a "release valve" here. Not a place for all students but as an option for families that want a good education for their children so their kids aren't stuck in failing schools. There are so many people on the education forums lately saying if a kid doesn't want to learn or is disruptive then let them leave and allow the other kids to get a decent education. Seems to me that is exactly what charters are doing. Letting kids that want to learn, learn. It's hard to begrudge a student an education for the sake of some sort of feigned equality.

There's a big difference between letting a child leave and pushing a child out. Especially keeping in mind that charter schools are publicly-funded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read all the posts here, but in the DCPS forum, someone said that the charters are used as a "release valve" here. Not a place for all students but as an option for families that want a good education for their children so their kids aren't stuck in failing schools. There are so many people on the education forums lately saying if a kid doesn't want to learn or is disruptive then let them leave and allow the other kids to get a decent education. Seems to me that is exactly what charters are doing. Letting kids that want to learn, learn. It's hard to begrudge a student an education for the sake of some sort of feigned equality.

There's a big difference between letting a child leave and pushing a child out. Especially keeping in mind that charter schools are publicly-funded.

I agree that there is a difference but charter schools seem to have a different mission than public schools. Public schools must educate all. If charter schools don't have to then they are doing what they can to make sure the students that can and want to learn do. FWIW, I think it's unfair to say charters do a better job than public schools since charters have a self selected population.

[Anonymous]

But charter schools are public schools with the same mission. Charters should have to adhere to the same rules as regular public schools with regard to keeping the kids who are there. Charters should have to deal with the kids they have rather than handing them back to the neighborhood school because they can't or won't handle the situation themselves. What about the kids at the neighborhood school who are there to learn? So they are the ones who have to put up with the disruptive behavior from students who are asked to leave a charter? Why do they matter less than the kids at the charter who want to learn?