Mundo Verde Public Charter: Failing on Its Most Basic Mission

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can’t be held to account. Families have been trying for years. There is just no accountability in the charter system. Mundo Verde’s reputation is getting out in the community, which is why they’re clearing waitlists in Kindergarten and up.

This is such a tired and worn out line of thought. As if DCPS Central was all over underperforming schools, admins and teachers. Remember a few years ago when a JO Teacher was abusing and bullying kids and after much public outcry there was a public hearing where students bravely stood up and spoke about their experiences, and DCPS moved the teacher to SH...where those bullied kids were going to be! One could argue that at least with charters there is accountability because if enrollment drops they lose money. DCPS schools are not punished for enrollment.

In DCPS funding is connected to enrollment, just not on a tight per capita basis. But there absolutely is a financial consequence for enrollment loss. DCPS also has an ombudsperson, Instructional Superintendents, the LSAT groups, and sometimes more powerful PTOs than charters have. And DCPS leadership can fire the principal and APs if it wants to. At charters the board of the charter itself has some power but there aren't a lot of other places to turn.

Plus political pressure if someone starts tagging Bowser on Twitter. It seems silly, but it’s effective.

And “it also happens elsewhere!” isn’t particularly relevant on a thread about what can be done at this charter. The suggestions to go to the charter board and OSSE are well intentioned, but bad advice. Because charters just don’t have accountability until test scores and enrollment numbers get egregiously bad.

And at MV, the scores will never get egregiously bad because the parents have the ability to supplement and will remove their child rather than tolerate bad scores year after year. High-SES charters fail financially or from low enrollment before they fail on performance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i feel so sad for the families that are lured in based on the rumors and false pictures painted during the open houses.

MV (and maybe other charters) need to be held to account for making false claims. During the MV open house, I remember an elaborate slide show of photos from field trips to Rock Creek Park (though I think they haven't been there in many many years), and our tour guide, when asked what the teacher turnover rate was, said something along the lines of "teachers are very happy and rarely leave." At the Bancroft DCPS open house when someone asked an identical question, the principal pulled out the data and said "86%"

it makes it so hard for parents to get a clear idea of what kind of school they are entering when the open houses are full of exaggerations and falsehoods... then you end up with someone like OP feeling so devasted. I have so many friends who entered MV with such high hopes and they are ALL gone now, and left very disgusted and disappointed.

How can this school be held to account?

There is really no accountability for charters short of egregiously bad test scores or outright fraud. But if MV parents would stop defending it and tell prospective parents the actual truth, that might help by damaging the school enough that the board intervenes.

If you search these boards, you'll find lots of parents speaking the truth about the school, dating back YEARS. Many passionately testified at the hearing about the expansion plan because they saw the revolving door of teachers, lack of transparency, poor discipline, etc. The school was a mess and in the hole financially, so its solution was to expand to get more per pupil funding. It just replicated the mess. But none of the people with pre-K kids playing the lottery back then wanted to hear it. I think I was accused of wanting to pull the ladder up behind me. Someone might have called me racist. We were just speaking the truth and hoping others could learn from our mistake. Oh well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can’t be held to account. Families have been trying for years. There is just no accountability in the charter system. Mundo Verde’s reputation is getting out in the community, which is why they’re clearing waitlists in Kindergarten and up.

This is such a tired and worn out line of thought. As if DCPS Central was all over underperforming schools, admins and teachers. Remember a few years ago when a JO Teacher was abusing and bullying kids and after much public outcry there was a public hearing where students bravely stood up and spoke about their experiences, and DCPS moved the teacher to SH...where those bullied kids were going to be! One could argue that at least with charters there is accountability because if enrollment drops they lose money. DCPS schools are not punished for enrollment.

In DCPS funding is connected to enrollment, just not on a tight per capita basis. But there absolutely is a financial consequence for enrollment loss. DCPS also has an ombudsperson, Instructional Superintendents, the LSAT groups, and sometimes more powerful PTOs than charters have. And DCPS leadership can fire the principal and APs if it wants to. At charters the board of the charter itself has some power but there aren't a lot of other places to turn.

Again, your argument that somehow these checks and balances are specific to DCPS are nonsense. Charter boards can also fire principals and APs if they want to, and bad teachers can be removed (except for those with unions). The same cannot be said for DCPS. If a charter can't fill seats it dies for lack of funding. DCPS cannot just shutter schools. Note that PCSB has closed schools, DCPS has not (at least in last 10 years or so). And you yada-yada over the per capita funding but that is a current fiscal reality with direct financial consequences that simply don't apply to DCPS. Show me one example where the leadership of a DCPS school has been changed due to those channels you cite?

If enough parents stop sending their kids to a charter it dies, period. The same binary statement cannot be made for DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i feel so sad for the families that are lured in based on the rumors and false pictures painted during the open houses.

MV (and maybe other charters) need to be held to account for making false claims. During the MV open house, I remember an elaborate slide show of photos from field trips to Rock Creek Park (though I think they haven't been there in many many years), and our tour guide, when asked what the teacher turnover rate was, said something along the lines of "teachers are very happy and rarely leave." At the Bancroft DCPS open house when someone asked an identical question, the principal pulled out the data and said "86%"

it makes it so hard for parents to get a clear idea of what kind of school they are entering when the open houses are full of exaggerations and falsehoods... then you end up with someone like OP feeling so devasted. I have so many friends who entered MV with such high hopes and they are ALL gone now, and left very disgusted and disappointed.

How can this school be held to account?

At what point are parents as consumers responsible for their choices? In the example you gave where MV sidestepped the question about teacher retention, parents need to notice that just like they would when buying insurance or any other good or service. If a school has a reputation of losing teachers and having unrelenting bullying problems and their answers don't suggest a plan to address those matters, but instead pretend they don't exist then that in and of itself is a warning sign. None of this is to suggest that OP is responsible for her kid being bullied or to make excuses for the school's apparent failure to address the issue. My argument however is that, at least as regards MV, the fact that these issues persist and they don't even acknowledge them is a warning sign unto itself. An open house is a marketing event. What parent doesn't know that going in?

[Anonymous]

We live in Brookland and it seems like every MV8 family I know was lotterying this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can’t be held to account. Families have been trying for years. There is just no accountability in the charter system. Mundo Verde’s reputation is getting out in the community, which is why they’re clearing waitlists in Kindergarten and up.

This is such a tired and worn out line of thought. As if DCPS Central was all over underperforming schools, admins and teachers. Remember a few years ago when a JO Teacher was abusing and bullying kids and after much public outcry there was a public hearing where students bravely stood up and spoke about their experiences, and DCPS moved the teacher to SH...where those bullied kids were going to be! One could argue that at least with charters there is accountability because if enrollment drops they lose money. DCPS schools are not punished for enrollment.

In DCPS funding is connected to enrollment, just not on a tight per capita basis. But there absolutely is a financial consequence for enrollment loss. DCPS also has an ombudsperson, Instructional Superintendents, the LSAT groups, and sometimes more powerful PTOs than charters have. And DCPS leadership can fire the principal and APs if it wants to. At charters the board of the charter itself has some power but there aren't a lot of other places to turn.

Plus political pressure if someone starts tagging Bowser on Twitter. It seems silly, but it’s effective.

And “it also happens elsewhere!” isn’t particularly relevant on a thread about what can be done at this charter. The suggestions to go to the charter board and OSSE are well intentioned, but bad advice. Because charters just don’t have accountability until test scores and enrollment numbers get egregiously bad.

You obviously have no clue how the charter system in DC works. The congressionally mandated set-up gives her no control or oversight. You are simply wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can’t be held to account. Families have been trying for years. There is just no accountability in the charter system. Mundo Verde’s reputation is getting out in the community, which is why they’re clearing waitlists in Kindergarten and up.

This is such a tired and worn out line of thought. As if DCPS Central was all over underperforming schools, admins and teachers. Remember a few years ago when a JO Teacher was abusing and bullying kids and after much public outcry there was a public hearing where students bravely stood up and spoke about their experiences, and DCPS moved the teacher to SH...where those bullied kids were going to be! One could argue that at least with charters there is accountability because if enrollment drops they lose money. DCPS schools are not punished for enrollment.

In DCPS funding is connected to enrollment, just not on a tight per capita basis. But there absolutely is a financial consequence for enrollment loss. DCPS also has an ombudsperson, Instructional Superintendents, the LSAT groups, and sometimes more powerful PTOs than charters have. And DCPS leadership can fire the principal and APs if it wants to. At charters the board of the charter itself has some power but there aren't a lot of other places to turn.

Plus political pressure if someone starts tagging Bowser on Twitter. It seems silly, but it’s effective.

And “it also happens elsewhere!” isn’t particularly relevant on a thread about what can be done at this charter. The suggestions to go to the charter board and OSSE are well intentioned, but bad advice. Because charters just don’t have accountability until test scores and enrollment numbers get egregiously bad.

You obviously have no clue how the charter system in DC works. The congressionally mandated set-up gives her no control or oversight. You are simply wrong.

Look at the entire quote, that was in reference to DCPS, not the charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i feel so sad for the families that are lured in based on the rumors and false pictures painted during the open houses.

MV (and maybe other charters) need to be held to account for making false claims. During the MV open house, I remember an elaborate slide show of photos from field trips to Rock Creek Park (though I think they haven't been there in many many years), and our tour guide, when asked what the teacher turnover rate was, said something along the lines of "teachers are very happy and rarely leave." At the Bancroft DCPS open house when someone asked an identical question, the principal pulled out the data and said "86%"

it makes it so hard for parents to get a clear idea of what kind of school they are entering when the open houses are full of exaggerations and falsehoods... then you end up with someone like OP feeling so devasted. I have so many friends who entered MV with such high hopes and they are ALL gone now, and left very disgusted and disappointed.

How can this school be held to account?

Parents need to be more discerning, though. I mean, these open houses and the accompanying marketing presentations, etc. We're at a different charter (thankfully our last year before moving on elsewhere) and the gap between the mission statements, etc and reality is truly astounding. But we saw this as my DD advanced through grades and formed an exit strategy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i feel so sad for the families that are lured in based on the rumors and false pictures painted during the open houses.

MV (and maybe other charters) need to be held to account for making false claims. During the MV open house, I remember an elaborate slide show of photos from field trips to Rock Creek Park (though I think they haven't been there in many many years), and our tour guide, when asked what the teacher turnover rate was, said something along the lines of "teachers are very happy and rarely leave." At the Bancroft DCPS open house when someone asked an identical question, the principal pulled out the data and said "86%"

it makes it so hard for parents to get a clear idea of what kind of school they are entering when the open houses are full of exaggerations and falsehoods... then you end up with someone like OP feeling so devasted. I have so many friends who entered MV with such high hopes and they are ALL gone now, and left very disgusted and disappointed.

How can this school be held to account?

There is really no accountability for charters short of egregiously bad test scores or outright fraud. But if MV parents would stop defending it and tell prospective parents the actual truth, that might help by damaging the school enough that the board intervenes.

If you search these boards, you'll find lots of parents speaking the truth about the school, dating back YEARS. Many passionately testified at the hearing about the expansion plan because they saw the revolving door of teachers, lack of transparency, poor discipline, etc. The school was a mess and in the hole financially, so its solution was to expand to get more per pupil funding. It just replicated the mess. But none of the people with pre-K kids playing the lottery back then wanted to hear it. I think I was accused of wanting to pull the ladder up behind me. Someone might have called me racist. We were just speaking the truth and hoping others could learn from our mistake. Oh well.

Not oh well. My family listened and I read the hearing testimony transcripts before deciding to decline seats at MV. We’re at a much less popular school and having a great experience. Thank you for speaking up and helping the families that were willing to listen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can’t be held to account. Families have been trying for years. There is just no accountability in the charter system. Mundo Verde’s reputation is getting out in the community, which is why they’re clearing waitlists in Kindergarten and up.

This is such a tired and worn out line of thought. As if DCPS Central was all over underperforming schools, admins and teachers. Remember a few years ago when a JO Teacher was abusing and bullying kids and after much public outcry there was a public hearing where students bravely stood up and spoke about their experiences, and DCPS moved the teacher to SH...where those bullied kids were going to be! One could argue that at least with charters there is accountability because if enrollment drops they lose money. DCPS schools are not punished for enrollment.

In DCPS funding is connected to enrollment, just not on a tight per capita basis. But there absolutely is a financial consequence for enrollment loss. DCPS also has an ombudsperson, Instructional Superintendents, the LSAT groups, and sometimes more powerful PTOs than charters have. And DCPS leadership can fire the principal and APs if it wants to. At charters the board of the charter itself has some power but there aren't a lot of other places to turn.

Again, your argument that somehow these checks and balances are specific to DCPS are nonsense. Charter boards can also fire principals and APs if they want to, and bad teachers can be removed (except for those with unions). The same cannot be said for DCPS. If a charter can't fill seats it dies for lack of funding. DCPS cannot just shutter schools. Note that PCSB has closed schools, DCPS has not (at least in last 10 years or so). And you yada-yada over the per capita funding but that is a current fiscal reality with direct financial consequences that simply don't apply to DCPS. Show me one example where the leadership of a DCPS school has been changed due to those channels you cite?

If enough parents stop sending their kids to a charter it dies, period. The same binary statement cannot be made for DCPS.

1) DCPS absolutely does close schools. For example, it recently Washington Metropolitan in 2020. So you are wrong. I think before that the most recently closed school was Shaed. Lately DCPS hasn't wanted to, because the overall student population has been steady or growing (aside from COVID) and they have to plan for the long-term future and provide seats for all who want them. And DCPS does not close a school unless it has a realistic plan for where the students will end up, without overcrowding any of its other schools. Charters don't have that responsibility, they can just close and it's not their problem what happens to the kids or the impact on other schools.

2) Parents at Cleveland have been complaining about their principal for a while. Now they are getting a new principal. Coincidence? Maybe. DCPS tends to offer principals the opportunity to resign first, and keep these things private, but they definitely do fire principals when they want to. It's technically called a "non-renewal notice".

3) DCPS budgets are open to the public at https://dcpsbudget.com/. It's not a literal per capita formula, but many budget functions are tied to enrollment and a school with declining enrollment will be impacted. You can look at the budget formulas yourself if you want. Now, the decrease due to enrollment may be offset by some other increase in funding for some other reason, but that can be true at charters too.

4) LSATs, the Ombudsperson, and Instructional Superintendents are unique to DCPS. As is the office of the Chancellor. You might find some similar structure in a few charters but overall there are just fewer places to turn with your complaints and concerns. There's the board of your school, the parent org of your school (which usually has little real power) and the PCSB which hardly ever intervenes. Aside from that you're out of luck. You might not get what you want in the DCPS system anyway, but there are more places to try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can’t be held to account. Families have been trying for years. There is just no accountability in the charter system. Mundo Verde’s reputation is getting out in the community, which is why they’re clearing waitlists in Kindergarten and up.

This is such a tired and worn out line of thought. As if DCPS Central was all over underperforming schools, admins and teachers. Remember a few years ago when a JO Teacher was abusing and bullying kids and after much public outcry there was a public hearing where students bravely stood up and spoke about their experiences, and DCPS moved the teacher to SH...where those bullied kids were going to be! One could argue that at least with charters there is accountability because if enrollment drops they lose money. DCPS schools are not punished for enrollment.

In DCPS funding is connected to enrollment, just not on a tight per capita basis. But there absolutely is a financial consequence for enrollment loss. DCPS also has an ombudsperson, Instructional Superintendents, the LSAT groups, and sometimes more powerful PTOs than charters have. And DCPS leadership can fire the principal and APs if it wants to. At charters the board of the charter itself has some power but there aren't a lot of other places to turn.

Plus political pressure if someone starts tagging Bowser on Twitter. It seems silly, but it’s effective.

And “it also happens elsewhere!” isn’t particularly relevant on a thread about what can be done at this charter. The suggestions to go to the charter board and OSSE are well intentioned, but bad advice. Because charters just don’t have accountability until test scores and enrollment numbers get egregiously bad.

You obviously have no clue how the charter system in DC works. The congressionally mandated set-up gives her no control or oversight. You are simply wrong.

Look at the entire quote, that was in reference to DCPS, not the charters.

I re-read the post to which I replied. You are correct. My bad. Apologies to all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i feel so sad for the families that are lured in based on the rumors and false pictures painted during the open houses.

MV (and maybe other charters) need to be held to account for making false claims. During the MV open house, I remember an elaborate slide show of photos from field trips to Rock Creek Park (though I think they haven't been there in many many years), and our tour guide, when asked what the teacher turnover rate was, said something along the lines of "teachers are very happy and rarely leave." At the Bancroft DCPS open house when someone asked an identical question, the principal pulled out the data and said "86%"

it makes it so hard for parents to get a clear idea of what kind of school they are entering when the open houses are full of exaggerations and falsehoods... then you end up with someone like OP feeling so devasted. I have so many friends who entered MV with such high hopes and they are ALL gone now, and left very disgusted and disappointed.

How can this school be held to account?

There is really no accountability for charters short of egregiously bad test scores or outright fraud. But if MV parents would stop defending it and tell prospective parents the actual truth, that might help by damaging the school enough that the board intervenes.

If you search these boards, you'll find lots of parents speaking the truth about the school, dating back YEARS. Many passionately testified at the hearing about the expansion plan because they saw the revolving door of teachers, lack of transparency, poor discipline, etc. The school was a mess and in the hole financially, so its solution was to expand to get more per pupil funding. It just replicated the mess. But none of the people with pre-K kids playing the lottery back then wanted to hear it. I think I was accused of wanting to pull the ladder up behind me. Someone might have called me racist. We were just speaking the truth and hoping others could learn from our mistake. Oh well.

We are at another charter--with what sounds like similar issues to MV. I'm constantly stunned at how some parents continue to be in utter denial at the reality of the discipline and academic issues at our school. It's bizarre--it's like they don't question obvious issues in front of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can’t be held to account. Families have been trying for years. There is just no accountability in the charter system. Mundo Verde’s reputation is getting out in the community, which is why they’re clearing waitlists in Kindergarten and up.

This is such a tired and worn out line of thought. As if DCPS Central was all over underperforming schools, admins and teachers. Remember a few years ago when a JO Teacher was abusing and bullying kids and after much public outcry there was a public hearing where students bravely stood up and spoke about their experiences, and DCPS moved the teacher to SH...where those bullied kids were going to be! One could argue that at least with charters there is accountability because if enrollment drops they lose money. DCPS schools are not punished for enrollment.

In DCPS funding is connected to enrollment, just not on a tight per capita basis. But there absolutely is a financial consequence for enrollment loss. DCPS also has an ombudsperson, Instructional Superintendents, the LSAT groups, and sometimes more powerful PTOs than charters have. And DCPS leadership can fire the principal and APs if it wants to. At charters the board of the charter itself has some power but there aren't a lot of other places to turn.

Again, your argument that somehow these checks and balances are specific to DCPS are nonsense. Charter boards can also fire principals and APs if they want to, and bad teachers can be removed (except for those with unions). The same cannot be said for DCPS. If a charter can't fill seats it dies for lack of funding. DCPS cannot just shutter schools. Note that PCSB has closed schools, DCPS has not (at least in last 10 years or so). And you yada-yada over the per capita funding but that is a current fiscal reality with direct financial consequences that simply don't apply to DCPS. Show me one example where the leadership of a DCPS school has been changed due to those channels you cite?

If enough parents stop sending their kids to a charter it dies, period. The same binary statement cannot be made for DCPS.

1) DCPS absolutely does close schools. For example, it recently Washington Metropolitan in 2020. So you are wrong. I think before that the most recently closed school was Shaed. Lately DCPS hasn't wanted to, because the overall student population has been steady or growing (aside from COVID) and they have to plan for the long-term future and provide seats for all who want them. And DCPS does not close a school unless it has a realistic plan for where the students will end up, without overcrowding any of its other schools. Charters don't have that responsibility, they can just close and it's not their problem what happens to the kids or the impact on other schools.

2) Parents at Cleveland have been complaining about their principal for a while. Now they are getting a new principal. Coincidence? Maybe. DCPS tends to offer principals the opportunity to resign first, and keep these things private, but they definitely do fire principals when they want to. It's technically called a "non-renewal notice".

3) DCPS budgets are open to the public at https://dcpsbudget.com/. It's not a literal per capita formula, but many budget functions are tied to enrollment and a school with declining enrollment will be impacted. You can look at the budget formulas yourself if you want. Now, the decrease due to enrollment may be offset by some other increase in funding for some other reason, but that can be true at charters too.

4) LSATs, the Ombudsperson, and Instructional Superintendents are unique to DCPS. As is the office of the Chancellor. You might find some similar structure in a few charters but overall there are just fewer places to turn with your complaints and concerns. There's the board of your school, the parent org of your school (which usually has little real power) and the PCSB which hardly ever intervenes. Aside from that you're out of luck. You might not get what you want in the DCPS system anyway, but there are more places to try.

Instructional Superintendents? That's the hill you want to die on? Take a look at what was done at JO Wilson and get back to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i feel so sad for the families that are lured in based on the rumors and false pictures painted during the open houses.

MV (and maybe other charters) need to be held to account for making false claims. During the MV open house, I remember an elaborate slide show of photos from field trips to Rock Creek Park (though I think they haven't been there in many many years), and our tour guide, when asked what the teacher turnover rate was, said something along the lines of "teachers are very happy and rarely leave." At the Bancroft DCPS open house when someone asked an identical question, the principal pulled out the data and said "86%"

it makes it so hard for parents to get a clear idea of what kind of school they are entering when the open houses are full of exaggerations and falsehoods... then you end up with someone like OP feeling so devasted. I have so many friends who entered MV with such high hopes and they are ALL gone now, and left very disgusted and disappointed.

How can this school be held to account?

At what point are parents as consumers responsible for their choices? In the example you gave where MV sidestepped the question about teacher retention, parents need to notice that just like they would when buying insurance or any other good or service. If a school has a reputation of losing teachers and having unrelenting bullying problems and their answers don't suggest a plan to address those matters, but instead pretend they don't exist then that in and of itself is a warning sign. None of this is to suggest that OP is responsible for her kid being bullied or to make excuses for the school's apparent failure to address the issue. My argument however is that, at least as regards MV, the fact that these issues persist and they don't even acknowledge them is a warning sign unto itself. An open house is a marketing event. What parent doesn't know that going in?

+10000 I can't understand how such a large portion of a population of highly educated people are not more skeptical of the lack of transparency and naked marketing behind most of these charter schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can’t be held to account. Families have been trying for years. There is just no accountability in the charter system. Mundo Verde’s reputation is getting out in the community, which is why they’re clearing waitlists in Kindergarten and up.

This is such a tired and worn out line of thought. As if DCPS Central was all over underperforming schools, admins and teachers. Remember a few years ago when a JO Teacher was abusing and bullying kids and after much public outcry there was a public hearing where students bravely stood up and spoke about their experiences, and DCPS moved the teacher to SH...where those bullied kids were going to be! One could argue that at least with charters there is accountability because if enrollment drops they lose money. DCPS schools are not punished for enrollment.

In DCPS funding is connected to enrollment, just not on a tight per capita basis. But there absolutely is a financial consequence for enrollment loss. DCPS also has an ombudsperson, Instructional Superintendents, the LSAT groups, and sometimes more powerful PTOs than charters have. And DCPS leadership can fire the principal and APs if it wants to. At charters the board of the charter itself has some power but there aren't a lot of other places to turn.

Again, your argument that somehow these checks and balances are specific to DCPS are nonsense. Charter boards can also fire principals and APs if they want to, and bad teachers can be removed (except for those with unions). The same cannot be said for DCPS. If a charter can't fill seats it dies for lack of funding. DCPS cannot just shutter schools. Note that PCSB has closed schools, DCPS has not (at least in last 10 years or so). And you yada-yada over the per capita funding but that is a current fiscal reality with direct financial consequences that simply don't apply to DCPS. Show me one example where the leadership of a DCPS school has been changed due to those channels you cite?

If enough parents stop sending their kids to a charter it dies, period. The same binary statement cannot be made for DCPS.

1) DCPS absolutely does close schools. For example, it recently Washington Metropolitan in 2020. So you are wrong. I think before that the most recently closed school was Shaed. Lately DCPS hasn't wanted to, because the overall student population has been steady or growing (aside from COVID) and they have to plan for the long-term future and provide seats for all who want them. And DCPS does not close a school unless it has a realistic plan for where the students will end up, without overcrowding any of its other schools. Charters don't have that responsibility, they can just close and it's not their problem what happens to the kids or the impact on other schools.

2) Parents at Cleveland have been complaining about their principal for a while. Now they are getting a new principal. Coincidence? Maybe. DCPS tends to offer principals the opportunity to resign first, and keep these things private, but they definitely do fire principals when they want to. It's technically called a "non-renewal notice".

3) DCPS budgets are open to the public at https://dcpsbudget.com/. It's not a literal per capita formula, but many budget functions are tied to enrollment and a school with declining enrollment will be impacted. You can look at the budget formulas yourself if you want. Now, the decrease due to enrollment may be offset by some other increase in funding for some other reason, but that can be true at charters too.

4) LSATs, the Ombudsperson, and Instructional Superintendents are unique to DCPS. As is the office of the Chancellor. You might find some similar structure in a few charters but overall there are just fewer places to turn with your complaints and concerns. There's the board of your school, the parent org of your school (which usually has little real power) and the PCSB which hardly ever intervenes. Aside from that you're out of luck. You might not get what you want in the DCPS system anyway, but there are more places to try.

Instructional Superintendents? That's the hill you want to die on? Take a look at what was done at JO Wilson and get back to me.

Nobody's saying that ISs are great or that they do things the right way. Just that it's an avenue parents can use to raise concerns, and charter parents don't have anything analogous.