Reply to Feedback on Bridges PCS?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The attrition at 1244 was higher than 40%, it was well more than half, I forget exact numbers, but it was concentrated there.  Though it wasn't clear the breakdown of reasons and timing over there (poor fit versus personal versus "driven out by conditions" - my phrasing on the last one obviously).  Apparently some more information will be coming at some point a to who precisely has left/what they did after departures to address staffing issues where relevant?

They did seem to blame much of it (where departures were for stress/unhappiness) on the spread of the school across buildings and inability (or failure) to devote uniform support to all.  They seem to have taken some concrete steps to address and also look at why perhaps the unhappiness reached the level it did before they realized the issue.  Whether that'll be effective, I don't know.  But being able to say, you're right we missed it, we're changing XYZ says something.  Also realized/agreed communication about the issue could be improved with parents - I think that's some of what's led to the concern, the lack of communication (I believe you were informed about a departure only if it was a person working directly with your child), which parents find important because, well, it's important, but also because departure not impacting your child directly in terms of staffing still have the ability to affect your child indirectly as resources and time shift to make up for a missing person, and so, as a parent, I'd like to hear about it and be told what their plan is to minimize any impact.  A failure to communicate that allows for snowballing conjecture, rumor, etc (some of which may be/have been accurate, certainly).  So an improvement on that front would be a big improvement, from my perspective.

They did also note, which I think is important in looking at this for anyone comparing to public school side (as I was), that charters are at will and there are not contracts (in the same way? at all?) like there are in public school systems.  As a former teacher, leaving mid year just wasn't done (I mean, I'm sure it was done, but it was not a good plan) - and if people left after year start it was DIRE, because leaving mid contract would sink your opportunities for shifting to another system or within the same system.  At will/no contract, less so.  So understanding that I'm slightly less alarmed than I was.  It does mean people are freer to leave for less than dire working conditions (be it moves, fit, personal issues, whatever, as well as dissatisfaction of a certain level).  Doesn't make the departures good, regardless, but adds some perspective.

Having been at similar meetings at imploding daycares etc, it's always difficult to get a read on things - whether the administration is sharing everything, whether they actually understand why people have left (people might understandably say this just isn't working for my personal life because of XYZ when what they really mean is "you people are crazy and this place is a hellhole I can't wait to leave"), etc.  I can't say I've ever left one feeling totally confident I have the whole story - but then, stories have multiple sides, and you can't get them all much of the time - but I left feeling more confident they'd identified at least some of the problem and had taken what seemed to be reasonable steps to address it.  [/quote]

Great recap.  Pretty much sums up what I heard and how I felt at the end.  Perfect?  No.  Better than other choices for my child?  Definitely.[/quote]

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