RIF of DCPS teachers ($40million budget short fall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charter schools ARE DC public schools. They are all part of the same system. You haven't opted out of the system by selecting one.

I think perhaps you may not be "anti-Union" but anti the Washington Teachers Union. I am also a lifelong DC resident (and a product of the DC public school system) Yes, Michelle Rhee has made enormous strides (mostly in the facilities management/improvement area). With this RIF, She is simply gaming the system same as the WTU is.

I haven't noticed an overabundance extra teachers at my children's school. Are they all just waiting in the wings somewhere to rush in and take the place of these older, fired teachers? What can I expect to see on the ground in terms of staff cuts (probably nothing as i live in Northwest, my guess is most of the cuts will be in less affluent neighborhoods where parents may not feel as empowered to complain)?

I think the PP's point is that whereas charter schools are public schools and yes, they are in DC, they are nonetheless NOT part of DCPS. By definition, right? As they are independently chartered. Ergo, if you have opted for a DC Charter school, then you have opted out of DCPS. Michelle Rhee is not the Chancellor of YOUR school - your school has its own "head of school" or "director" and that person is analogous to Michelle Rhee. And BTW, NO - the Principal is (usually) not the Director or Head of School. It is a completely separate job. Just as the Principal of School Without Walls is NOT the Chancellor of DCPS.

This is, incidentally where OSSE, Fenty, and the City Council make so many boneheaded mistakes with respect to dealing with charter schools. They seem to be under the (mis)impression that if they simply convey their information/mandates/budget cuts/demands to the PCSB (Public Charter School Board) that they have somehow adequately fulfilled their obligations. WRONG! The PCSB is not an umbrella governance organization for charter schools. If you want to have a dialogue with the charter schools you need to talk to EACH head of school as if you are talking to Michelle Rhee.

Anyway, carry on...

I am not sure the above is accurate. Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that Charter Schools have some leeway in creating a school's vision/mission, selecting teachers, setting contracts, creating their own individual Board, and a little bit of flexibility on certification --(though that flexibility is being whittled away as elsewhere by NCLB). However, it is not the Wild West. Charter School adhere to binding governance set down by (and answerable to) the Charter School Board. The Charter School Board is obviously impacted and/or constrained in the guidelines it creates by OSSE, NCLB, the Board of Ed., Congress and the city's budget allocations to charters -- after all -- it is monitoring the use of public education dollars. The Charter School Board strictly monitors and reviews charters schools according to a performance framework that allows for some individual customization to reflect a school's mission and curriculum, but is inflexible in terms of there being detailed accountability for all charter schools to predetermined standards of assessment, finance, the charter's interpretation of NCLB mandates, equal opportunity. Due to this high level of accountability, Charter Schools are about as mired in reporting paperwork as their DCPS counterparts. Charter Schools have been closed by the Board for failing to meet the standard.

As charters grow, all the usual DC education players such as OSSE, the Mayor, Congress, etc. are casting their eye towards them and seeking to widen the sphere of influence beyond what they currently enjoy. And obviously, budget allocations outside of the Board's control (ie set by the Mayor and Council) also affect charters.


TWO Sites with good info. on charters: (http://www.dcpubliccharter.com/) (www.focusdc.org)

[Anonymous]

the PP is fairly accurate. Most charter schools that are closed are shut down for administrative and financial problems rather than for not meeting academic goals. Charters have autonomy on curriculum, vision, staffing, calendar, hours, etc. But they are still evaluated according to NCLB.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Fair enough. Then, why don't you explain some of those ways? The example you have so far provided involved a principal not doing her job. That had nothing to do with the union.

Anonymous wrote:


I hear what you are saying. I want to stay anonymous on this DCPS forum so I am not able to share details from other incidents here.