After last month’s Delaware State Board of Education meeting WOW! DE State Board of Ed raises concerns with charter school performance reports and some inside feedback I am getting there might just be a moratorium on Delaware charter schools.
Perhaps the all the media attention brought on by the Newark Charter expansion request fueled by the school leaders foolish editorial to the News Journal raised some overall concerns with charter school approval and oversight process.
But relax Newark Charter folks, you’re request for expansion is safe. I think the Delaware State Board of Education is closing the pipeline for new charter school application. The renewal process for existing charter is safe but may required serious performance reports by the Delaware Department of Education.
Though everybody signed on to Race to The Top even DSEA, it doesn’t mean the charter school provision within get’s a free ride past the Delaware State Board of Education whose members are direct political appointees of the governor. I think it is about time state board members show some courage to ensure Delaware approve proven successful charter school model that aren’t restrictive and provides equal opportunities for all interested students. If rumors are true that Markell is engaging in private conversations about charter schools, I find it concerning. Markell personally made a mess of Moyer charter school with his desire to flex his muscles proving he can close low performing charter schools> In Moyer’s case, Markell called in his Wall Street K12.inc, buddies. K12.inc failed and Moyer starting next school year is under a new charter but with K12.inc. as a service provider. K12.inc now get’s the money and don’t have to worry being called a failure.
It’s time for the Delaware State Board of Education members to stepup in the name of public education, morals and ethics. I am not saying to ban new charter schools but to make sure the Delaware Department of Education follows the law in proper support and oversight.
Many in the public has loss confidence in the Delaware Department of Education and see that department as a bunch of people walking around on their knees please Governor Markell. DE DOE can’t function on it’s own without Markell’s approval for every action.
If we are to have charter schools, let’s have ones with proven models, not duplicating services provided by traditional schools and charters that aren’t restrictive in preferences. The Delaware State Board of Education to this point has been nothing put Markell political puppet with heads full of sawdust. Leadership that is responsible for Delaware public schools is “fractured”. We need to take the appointment of state board members out of the governors hand and put in legislative appointment with a hearing process and perhaps making those position full pay. Let the governor appoint his secretary of education but at least required the Department of Education answer to the people!
The failure of the Delaware Department of Education and the Delaware State Board of Education can undermine and damaged existing charter schools. It’s unfortunate Newark Charter School’s expansion application sparked so much controversy but it did. And now concerns with charters in general go far beyond the NCS debate. A school being built without a full service cafeteria is a major red flag! Parents of public schools as charter are should have no say or vote in such a decision as that decision impact future parents and students. Yea we can debate no capital funding but we’ll never see capital funding if charters don’t act like public schools. But for Newark he cafeteria issue has been resolved. But honestly, it was the Delaware Department of Education that lack capacity and forward thinking, And because of the naysayers if you want to call them that, you can be lunch and cafeterias will be a critical part of future charter school application and the ones in the current approval process are making modiifications.
Put this way, the Delaware charter school train is running so fast it’s breaks will failed and cause a major charter school train-wreck. Now with Mary Poppins leader the charter school charge she’ll push the charter school throttle so hard it will bring radical changes to all charter schools. Parents current riding the train can’t see what’s down the track but if they don’t wake-up and at least be more objective about naysayers’ concerns it’s their train the might be part of the major wreck. As far as CSD competing with NCS, Glasgow isn’t the answers because DE DOE is in there pulling puppet strings and undermining the CSD school board. Lowery goes to Washington yapping about how she put CSD board in their place doesn’t do a damn thing to improve Delaware’s public school reform. The reality is, it’s the Delaware Department of Education that needs the reform.
Charter schools are here to stay and I support student and parents right to make that choice. Charter schools like traditional public schools belong to everybody and shouldn’t be high-jacked for those who only care about their children.
I urge the state legislators to start to think about how to build a firewall between public education and a system of political appointees. Let the Delaware State Board of Education represent the people not the governor! We need that firewall!
Filed under: Uncategorized
NCS expansion is safe? It’s so obviously on the brink! Best laugh I’ll have all day!
Thx, Kilroy!
DSEA proposed a charter school moratorium a few years back and were demonized by NCS’s Meece for waging “jihad”against charter schools. Now the train has run so fast that it is off the tracks. DOE must place a temporary stop to at least have everyone involved catch their breath.
So K, you and I are thinking alike. The problem is the system, not NCS. The app. follows prior approvals and follows the law.
The problem is still CSD. It’s a mess. Why? Others know better.
What can be done? Not a damn thing so long as its defenders lash out at others to cover the failings of the district. Not a damn thing so long as Dover listens to Washington instead of parents and educators.
We, the people, let politicians play their games so long as the end product is acceptable. The education game in Dover may just be coming to an end.
NCS = prime example of failed charter process in DE!
Ah, even DDC is joining my way of thinking now. “Failed charter process” not failed school. OK, I can work with that.
Now, bring that higher level of discernment to bear on CSD. How do you propose fixing that mess?
Newark charter expansion will be approved next month! The food things has been taken care of and the other concerns are all legal. The law is flawed! Rethinking the 5 mile preference, if Red Clay can do it with traditional school feeder patterns so should charters. I think what well see is changes in charter school student application where they will be uniformed and not ask for school records until after student has been accepted. The Free and Reduce Lunch thing is a concern but then again why are there legal federal waivers.Specific interest preferences might have to go! But we do have real concern with some charters being nothing but duplication of traditional schools that question the charter innovation question. Red Clay’s Lewis is going to get hammer if (it will) the dual language charter is approved. Lewis is a PZ school and DE DOE will be shooting themselves in the ass by approving that charter school. HOWEVER, Markell is for it because it throws the GOP interest within a big cookie and he doesn’t want to piss off the Hispanic/Latino community with a denial. As far as Del State’s supported charter. That is innovation building a straight network between the charter and Del State. But again parents current riding the charter training best look ahead. When those struggling high poverty charters start closing all will be impacted. And there is an overall impact on CSD and traditional school districts.
Several predictions, kilroy, based on what I hear out of Dover. These are political predictions and worth exactly what you paid to read them.
1–NCS expansion will go through. Although not justified, CSD’s stock is very low with DOE and State Board; at most behind closed doors there are potentially two votes to derail and one of those will not be cast in public in a losing effort.
2–No moratorium this year. Expect that to be side-stepped with a “study” of the impact of charter schools. Too many legislators are tied to this movement and there is not sufficient populist groundswell. Plus, at least two of the applications pending are highly enough juiced that the Board will not turn them down. The key will be to watch who is placed on the “study” group or commission they will eventually name.
3–The fight that leads to a showdown over charters in Delaware is not NCS, or Pencader, or even Moyer–it will be the fight over capital funding for charters, which would have probably emerged this year in the General Assembly but for those cases noted above, and which will take front and center stage next session. It will be in the context of approving capital funding for charters that any changes in charter law and charter accountability get made.
I have been calling for slowing this train down for a while. We really need to take a step back, catch our breath and figure out what’s going on.
There are “good” and “bad” traditional public and charter schools. Both need to be analyzed.
Question: Is one of the reasons Charter Schools retain their autonomy due to not receiving capital funding?
@pandora: Don’t know answer for certain to your capital funding question; I assume kilroy does.
As for this: There are “good” and “bad” traditional public and charter schools. Both need to be analyzed.
The problem is that there is currently no disinterested party available with the expertise to do this analysis. Whether DOE or a district or even the charter school network did such an analysis correctly or not the results would be politically dead–each has an obvious self-interest. Same goes for DSEA.
You would normally turn to the universities, but both DSU (with its current application) and UD (with more projects than you can safely count) are hip deep into the same issue.
Nor could you contract it out to a for-profit agency at this point.
So as Aesop said, everybody agrees the cat needs a bell, problem is: who bells the cat?
The Delaware Way is to create a commission that will represent all interests and will frankly be very short on the actual expertise necessary to do such analysis even if it had the will. I have sat on any number of these type commissions in the past and that’s pretty much why I don’t eat sausage any more.
The best hope (and I don’t know how you would pull it off politically) would be to get one of the larger non-profits like RW Johnson or Pew interested by selling Delaware as a laboratory for the charter experiment due to its small size. But don’t look for a consensus on that, either, because both sides in this debate have too much they don’t want exposed.
DOE Lowery just kicked CSD board in the balls by bragging how she out them in their place re: GHS issue. DOE is not a faithful partner with CSD board because some members like John Young won’t kiss Markell RTTT ass! Meece is the one who fueled the fire with his bucket of crab analogy editorial and what right does he have asking parents to vote on a cafeteria or discourage them from applying for free and reduce lunch? But it’s a done deal now and NCS will be approved
I don’t think we’ll see a straight up moratorium but rather a state board who’ll push DOE to conform to it’s oversight laws such as in charter school performance reports. Just because a school is rated commendable or superior doesn’t mean there isn’t a internal structural problems. The ratings are reflected of student academics and can’t be used as over all charter performance! The issue of Free and Reduce Lunch / criteria was fault of DOE who should have the interest of students at heart!
There need not be a fight but rather state legislators need to wake-up and see the flaws due to lack of firewall between the needs of all children and Markell’s kiss Washington’s ass agenda that serves Markell political aspirations. I honestly think state board members be paid full-time position and not appointees of the governor. We need the checks and balances which we are lacking. NCS happen to be in the wrong place and the wrong time! CSD can strike back and convert GHS to a charter as it’s only going to die a slow death at the hands of DOE and F’ed PZ plan. Also, with all the high hopes we got it right this time with RTTT why is DOE undermining those efforts by adding more charter schools? Because RTTT is the seedbed to expand charter schools. When the RTTT money is gone we’ll have all those new charter schools and we’ll have a more fractured traditional public school system. The end game is to advance charter schools and the traditional public schools will fold in upon themselves. For what it’s worth Red Clay know this and is countering it! I support labor but DSEA signed on the to the RTTT MOU that includes charter.
I agree, Steve. Ah… futility.
And as we continue to discuss this issue there’s always one thing missing in the conversation… the kids. Instead we are forced to deal with adults in positions of power whose only goal is to keep that power – and I’m not excluding anyone from that statement.
Meanwhile in AZ, the new Superintendent has been selected and what’s interesting is that AZ was one of six pilot states to deploy
the quality education criteria.
I’m wondering if Rodel/Arizona is aware of this capacity building development? AZ joins MD in spreading this state-wide.
Here’s the link…
http://www.yourwestvalley.com/peoria/article_e4621b10-79e0-11e1-8033-001a4bcf887a.html
And can I add that they need to do a comprehensive review of their practices, not just with charters, but with ALL SCHOOLS.
Funny you mention Lewis, Kilroy – my lack-of-transparency irritation-of-the-day is the way the broader community is kept at arm’s length with stuff like Partnership Zone reforms of failing schools.
What a mistake and missed opportunity in my opinion. I will be reading Lewis’ PZ plan over the weekend but it’s already a done deal, right? Which IMO is too bad really with the duplicate charter coming down the pike. Something much more exciting could have been conceived if they’d asked for input (especially considering the West Side is in the midst of a Wells Fargo-funded, comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plan).
A community has a lot at stake with its neighborhood school – it impacts our home values and whether or not we are personally using it (IMO we should be! or at least supporting it in various ways), our voices should be more thoroughly considered. Such schools could benefit greatly from the investment of their community beyond students, parents, teachers & admins (something that has lost ground) since the lack thereof is usually one of their major problems – and think of the useful feedback you’d get from neighborhood parents who have opted out the neighborhood school…
I agree with you, Pandora, about the KIDS. I think what the kids need, tough as it is to manage, are more advocates who aren’t being paid to “advocate”. And isn’t that supposed to be the community?! I am def getting into “take back” mode with the schools. Slowing down (not nec. stopping) the charter train feels like one right step so that the rest of us can catch up and play our rightful part already.
@ snewton – Would that be full student funding which ostensibly includes capital funding, access to favorable capital sources for construction or both? Seems we’re headed toward a “split the baby” solution. Charter schools receive equal public funding but additional oversight/beauracracy which may negatively impact their results while public districts like CSD remain intact as-is producing presumably the same results. Not sure this result benefits anybody. Why not a greater push to merge the two constituencies by making capital funding subject to implementation of best practices within a charter school’s home district?
@Patriot.
Here’s the flaw in your argument. You assume that NCS’ results are due to some amazing pedagogical technique that is novel and not being done in CSD. It’s not. If NCS has stumbled unto the magic elixir of how to teach children, Greg Meece wouldn’t be asking for a HIgh School, he’s be selling his miracle GLOBALLY,.
There is no miracle, only a formula: make your school mid-high income, sprinkle in just a few poor kids. Keep SPEC ED down, make sure parents buy lunches, run a shady lottery, and VOILA!
You have smart kids doing well on tests with certainly competent but not special in any way educators. Then claim you’re just doing it better, smarter, more frugally.
Oh yeah, don’t forget to call the taxpayers in your home district crabs and tell people interested in social justice to go fuck themselves….apparently that’s the icing/perk of the deal.
Just sick.
Those are pretty much my questions, Patriot. I see Charters gaining full funding as a double edged sword. I know one of the reasons I back off (a bit!) when it comes to Charters is that they are, in part, non-publicly funded. Full funding would result in my full attention.
That’s why I was asking if Charter autonomy was somehow linked to not receiving capital funding. It makes sense, but I don’t know that answer.
Why not a greater push to merge the two constituencies by making capital funding subject to implementation of best practices within a charter school’s home district?
Okay, deep breath… No! No! No! And ask yourself if you’d support this idea if your neighborhood school was high poverty, had lost resources, and was in need of capital improvements. I can give you a list, right now, of which schools would win that rigged contest.
@pandora
Is the difference between what is paid to the charter and what the TPS gets enough to subsidize improvements in the TPS? I really have no idea and I don’t think what is happening now provides the answer. The difference saved is about $3k/child, no?
And I am not sure I understand your italics question above. Would you expand on that idea? If there is a cost associated with that idea, would the difference fund that?
@kilroy: CSD can strike back and convert GHS to a charter as it’s only going to die a slow death at the hands of DOE and F’ed PZ plan
In some ways exactly what should happen. I think that if you turned charter school approval back over to districts or consortia of districts you would achieve many things.
Many people throw stones at Red Clay but the fact that the district was the chartering entity for CSW, DMA, CP, and (initially) Odyssey reflects a different relationship between a district and its own charters and a district with state-chartered schools plonked down in the middle. I really do think, over time, that’s the direction that charters need to go–if they are really to be labs for the districts then the districts need some control.
I reiterate: regardless of how CSW got there (please do not look at this as an opportunity to tell the story again, kilroy, please please), we now have a school that gives real in-district preference, has started to accept special ed and 504s, pays debt service on the building, and collaborates by allowing Cab students to play sports and take classes. Yes there are other issues to be addressed, but show me a healthier charter-district relationship in the state.
@ DDC – agreed, Meece hasn’t developed a magic formula that will work across the board. All he’s doing at NCS in my opinion is reminding us of what has worked in the past:
1) Focus on academics and acceptable behavior (see, I didn’t use decorum : 7 ) above all else.
2) Solid curriculum that is seamless across grades.
3) “Phased” cohort approach to teaching that recognizes kids learn at different speeds.
4) High expectations for student achievement which includes challenging curriculum and course work outside of class (i.e. lots of homework).
5) High expectations for parental involvement in the learning process.
6) High expectations for teachers and high teacher accountability.
7) Zero tolerance policy for bullying which is supported by mandatory uniform and dress code.
None of this is rocket science, but for some reason there is resistence to some or all of these concepts in traditional public schools. All NCS has done is create an environment where all of these elements are present. I understand NCS can “counsel out” problem kids, but there does not appear to be too many cases of this happening. Is NCS helped by it’s demographic? Of course it is, but again to dismiss all of the schools results as a product of it’s demographics would miss an opportunity to apply some or all of these practices at traditional public schools. I can’t see how anyone can say they are for improvement but only if they are allowed to continue “doing what they’ve been doing”. As Kilroy said, Kumbaa Academy is demonstrating that the demographic argument is flawed, so maybe they way a school is run has more to do with it’s results than who is attending the school.
@Patriot The only of the 7 that I would say I have even an iota of misgiving about where traditional schools are concerned (both as a student and as a parent) would be the enforcement of (5) & (7) – which have standing policies but with no ability to turn anyone away can be problematic…not sure about (4) but I think that’s prob influenced by a resignation to (5).
Not unrelated, I think that Kuumba’s performance has a lot to do with being able to enforce (5) since as a charter – those without active parents don’t apply. Whether or not the demographic is low-income, there is that intangible VERY important asset of involved parents and what they bring to a school. Another loss suffered by many traditional schools in the choice/charter shuffle.
@ pandora – I meant CHARTER capital funding predicated on this, not traditional public schools. I’ve maintained throughout most of my posts that if charter schools enjoy greater flexibility/latitude in their operations they should have greater expectations and responsibilities to the districts they serve. How better to meet this responsibililty than to require partnering with traditional schools?
Okay, I didn’t understand what you were saying. Sorry.
But… (you knew I’d have a “but”) when defining these expectations and responsibilities would we take into account charter schools serving at risk populations? Would we build in a way to give them a leg up since their population is more challenging?
As far as Kuumba… be careful with using that example as a way to take demographics off the table. If you compare Kuumba with other high poverty schools its results are better, but if you compare it with low-poverty charters and traditional public schools you’ll find a different result.
Kuumba is making strides – and I agree with Kilroy that their results are more impressive than any other charter school – but I doubt a NCS parent would consider sending their child there. Just sayin’
Patriot re: 1-7. If student and parents don’t conform there are ask to leave. Can traditional schools do this? Again not about NCS as much of what you say applies to all charter schools. But I do know with magnet schools such as Cab and Conrad technically they can send no conforming students back to feeder schools. Also it may be a stipulation for all Red Clay Choice students, I’ll trying to get the documentation. But charter need to start taking responsibility for their disruptive students that may need alternative placement. We do need to end that alternative placement be back to traditional schools. In the case I point out in Red Clay even-though student can be lose the choice seat the district must provide alternative placement is behavior warrants.
Re: Capital funding. There is a way with a formula that will secure the state aka taxpayers ownership in real property. All traditional public school buildings belong to the taxpayers. But this is away / formula.
@ pandora – didn’t say “take it off the table”, just saying it’s flawed to use it as both the sole reason NCS/charter school does well or the sole reason a traditional public school doesn’t do well. Whatever measurement /evaluation system we use should absolutely take into account the population being served. I view that as no different than the “phasing” done at NCS. Just a recognition that there are differences in the populations served that impact performance.
What if I turned your Kuumba point around on you and asked the question: “Would a Kuumba Academy parent send their child to lily white NCS?” I had friends who chose not to attend UD because it was “too white”. Is that UD’s fault, the kid who chose not to attend UD’s fault or nobody’s fault? I choose “nobody’s fault” because UD is a great school that works for some but not all. Nothing wrong with that. I realize there’s a difference between the responsibility to the public for paid college education and public schools, but my point is individual choice plays a role in this NCS demographic dialogue whether people want to accept it or not.
I love you dearly, Kilroy, but could you give this paragraph another try? I’m not getting what you’re saying.
What if I turned your Kuumba point around on you and asked the question: “Would a Kuumba Academy parent send their child to lily white NCS?”
Know what’s funny? I never even considered race when I wrote that question. I was thinking academics/test scores.
Pandora, Kummba’s reading proficiency is at about 80% and math 75% average across grades tested. NCS is about 90% across grades tested
“but I doubt a NCS parent would consider sending their child there. Just sayin’”
Why too far to travel or the cultural differences?
@ pandora – that is funny, just one of the quirks of communicating on a blog. I still think the point is valid. Some people will choose not to send their kids to certain schools for non-academic reasons. That shouldn’t be turned into a “re-segregation effort” by the school in question. It demeans everyone involved with the school. That’s all I’m saying.
Sorry pandora pollen count is killing me and my sinus.
Try it this way
Re: Capital funding. There is a way with a formula that will secure the state aka taxpayers ownership in real property. All traditional public school buildings belong to the taxpayers. But this is away / formula.
Thanks for the clarification, Kilroy.
Also, I included academics in reference to Kuumba because it doesn’t appear that the academic model for Kuumba and NCS are the same. What I’m saying is that I don’t think a NCS parent would be satisfied with Kuumba’s curriculum.
Should have probably not included test scores, but I was caught up in the school rating system.
No problem, Patriot. I did laugh, and had to go back and look at what I wrote. My main focus is poverty, but I won’t deny that in urban schools poverty tends to reflect a certain race. It’s why they’re linked (sometimes sloppily) when we discuss city schools.
Patriot, the so-called re-segregation many are concern with is a result of “choice”! But parents won’t send their children to certain school because of lake of racial diversity. Now that is a loaded comment! Would it be white parents or African-America parents concerned about racial diversity? No one really liked force busing but there is no reason not to consider scrapping the school district configuration in New Castle County to encourage racial diversity through a choice system with furnished transportation. The current Choice system has a barrier called transportation whereas the poorest without adequate transportation can’t participial
For the record, I chose my kid’s school because the other options at hand were too segregated and it was “good enough” in that dept. (though still skewed). Including Kuumba, Lewis, even Brandywine Springs.
Of course cultural diversity plays a role for people, in different ways. I mean, obviously many more people are fine with segregation in ways I am not, since looking at the DCAS scores SO many schools lack enough numbers of multiple groups to showcase useful comparisons. (Or that was my takeaway after I flipped through DCAS performance for all the elementaries in Red Clay.)
Parents, especially involved ones, are looking for environments that make them comfortable, which is logical. I see parents choose this sort of je-ne-sais-quoi comfort over other things you might thing they would object to, like crazy large class sizes or low test scores, in a few cases (even low-achieving poverty has a culture that some feel more comfortable within).
We do things like choice out based on friendly word of mouth without meaningfully visiting our feeder…and I do think this creates problem worthy of addressing, even though I know that it is the ultimate betrayal as a parent to imply unrestricted parent choice causes problems. But the way the system runs choice has made this true.
I used choice too, after all. I just wished I didn’t have to. I suppose we all say that…
Many of the issues expressed and articulated would be resolved
by deploying the quality education criteria – 6 process categories;
1 results category – that asks approx 187 questions that prompts
leaders to consider their process improvement and management.
This is NOT prescriptive…the profiles that I’ve provided show
how to improve your results. Whether your organization is a
K-12 school or system, a community college, a university, or
another type of education organization, the Baldrige Criteria are
a valuable framework for measuring performance and planning in
an uncertain environment.
The Criteria help education organizations achieve and sustain the highest national levels of:
- student learning outcomes
- customer satisfaction and engagement
- product and service outcomes, and process efficiency
- workforce satisfaction and engagement
- budgetary, financial, and market results
- social responsibility
This has been in use 2000 in Milford and the question remains;
Will be expanded state-wide?
I wanted to offer a brief comparison of my experience volunteering in Downes and Newark Charter elementary schools in case it informs the discussion at all.
In 2006 and 2007, I conducted two 6-week-long series of 45 minute hands-on activities at Downes ES. The first was for their “Enrichment Seminar” of academically advanced 4th graders. The second was for a group 4th graders who selectively signed-up for my activity during a program the school ran where all students participated in some parent-taught activity every Friday afternoon. They specifically signed up for my activity out of a choice of 15 or so activities. The material I used for both series was the same, and was a very engaging topic. The first group was a pleasure. They were engaged, interested, active, fun. The second group quickly became a chore due to attention and behavior issues. They appeared to be bored, unfocused and rude, with the exception of a couple of them who I felt sorry for because their experience was being ruined by the unruly behavior of the rest.
The students who wanted to learn could not because of those who did not. That is a tremendous injustice.
In 2009, 2010 and 2011 I participated in 4th Grade Career Day at Newark Charter, where groups of about 10 students circle the gym, spending 10 minutes at a time with about 15 different professionals from various fields (parent volunteers) who talk about their work and provide hands-on demonstrations. Each of these was a 90 minute marathon. The students each time were engaged, delightful, questioning and energizing. They were lively and funny, encouraged each other and listened to each other, and yet were very self-aware of their behavior and that of their fellow students. The experience, while somewhat exhausting by virtue of the format, was a true pleasure.
I am still at a loss why so many of the students at Downes (with the exception of the Enrichment Seminar ones) who specifically chose my really cool program seemed to lack even minimal practice at appropriate learning behavior, and didn’t really even seem to want to be there, while I found the opposite at Newark Charter. The contrast is so contrary as to be startling.
Whatever they are doing at Newark Charter, it is clearly a very good thing. We need to duplicate it, customize it as needed, and spread it far and wide.
Pandora “What I’m saying is that I don’t think a NCS parent would be satisfied with Kuumba’s curriculum.”
Are you suggesting Kuumba’s curriculum is narrowly defined to the test where as NCS is more broad?
“but I won’t deny that in urban schools poverty tends to reflect a certain race”
Are you suggesting there is a difference in urban and rural?
@Newark Dad
I am still at a loss why so many of the students at Downes (with the exception of the Enrichment Seminar ones) who specifically chose my really cool program seemed to lack even minimal practice at appropriate learning behavior, and didn’t really even seem to want to be there, while I found the opposite at Newark Charter. The contrast is so contrary as to be startling.
When I read this I chuckled (it is Friday!). I kept thinking… do the children at NCS start out as rude, unfocused behavioral problems? If so, well hats off to NCS! If not…
In life, we recognize that we cannot use the same approach with everybody. And I’d bet that we’ve changed our approach and methods when a new boss arrived on the scene.
Perhaps your approach was problematic? You didn’t say what your program was, but the response you received could have a lot to do with where these children’s life experiences came from. Were they capable of understanding your subject matter? There could be other variables at play… such as having to sign up for a program.
@ Newark Dad – thanks for sharing your experiences. IMO what you observed in the NCS kids is a product of the school’s culture. They are fanatical about appropriate behavior, and it’s something that they constantly reinforce and work at. There are anti-bullying assemblies almost on a weekly basis and anti-bullying signage, posters and messages all around the school and classrooms. The students are empowered to hold each other accountable as well as the school’s administration and teachers. Some view this as over-kill but I view it as essential to the school’s success. I think it’s just easier for some to dismiss the school’s success to demographics than to accept that it’s in large part the product of a very deliberate culture that is cultivated everyday.
NCS is a fine school. But, please don’t compare its scores to schools that serve ALL students in the district. DIFFERENT RULES, SAME SCORECARD. Brought to you courtesy of the state government that allows charters yet does not allow public schools to run the same way.
@NewarkDad
It’s the poverty, stupid. NCS don’t have it. Hmmmmmmm.
Spread that everywhere and you’ll win the fucking Nobel Prize in Economics and probably the Nobel Peace Prize.
Beth, That is fine… don’t compare the test scores and therefore don’t compare the student %s either since they using different geographical boundaries.
(you know I am loving knowing how to do that, thank you Pandora
) (it doesn’t take much to make me happy, lol) Anyway, do you know what curriculum Kuumba uses? NCS uses Core Knowledge. Have you ever read about it? And you can find a sort of ‘parent handbook’ to each grade which is great. I think it is called ‘Everything your 5th grader needs to know”. (or whatever grade, obviously) I was buying them for a while to use in the summer to help my ‘struggler’ get a head start.
Resolution #2 – Grade Configuration
“KACS expansion was previously approved to include a stronger partnership with CCAC that will allow a preK – 8th grade configuration. After strategic conversations from both KACS and CCAC Board members and staff at the Saturday, January 22, 2011 retreat, it is now recommended that KACS Board extend the grade configuration to span from preK- 12th grade”
http://kuumbaacademy.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/953202/File/Agenda%2002%2010%2011.doc?sessionid=854d8f9eb44ebd0a8a932485aade7290
preK – 12th grade. I love it! Let the teachers help and work with each other through all the grades and let the kids stay where they feel comfortable and know each other so well.
Whoa… K – 12? Shoot them down DDC!!
I’m not going to shoot them down, but I do have questions.
Will Kuumba be moving into the BofA building? If they are, then how many of the 2,000 seats will they occupy? If not, will they remain at their current location or move to a bigger building, or two locations? When they go to K-12 will they be expanding class sizes in their lower grades? Will traditional public schools be given resources to compensate for loss of students? Will they be given resources to compete? Or will they become dumping ground schools, with children attending, until they close a few and create a couple public schools to house those who don’t get into the charter or who are asked to leave?
My concerns/questions are based on trying to figure out how this expansion will impact existing schools – a bigger impact if they’re not part of the BofA charter.
None of this – Kuumba or NCS – happens in a vacuum. When people speak about closing failing schools they tend to forget that there are children in these schools. And the reality of charters is that they must have traditional public schools to survive – Charters cannot survive without without traditional public schools… there entire model depends on them.
There are discussions to be had.
@pandora, I am a professional educator and also a children’s entertainer with 35 years experience teaching and entertaining children of just about any background one can think of. There are good audiences and bad, for sure, but there was something palpably different about the atmosphere at Downes. I can’t put my finger on it, it was just a sense. After all, both Downes and NCS draw from the same basic demographics, economics, same University town, etc.
I do recall that the attitude of the people in the main office at Downes was harsh and unwelcoming, while at NCS they seemed to be happy to see me. Maybe it is a trickle down effect? I really don’t know.
@troll: It’s the poverty, stupid. NCS don’t have it. Hmmmmmmm.
His observation was about Downes Elementary which has 36% low income, which is the least low income of any school in the 5-mile radius. There are 167 low-income students at Downes.
There are 202 low-income students at NCS, admittedly spread over a larger school.
If you suggest, seriously, that the difference between 15% low income and 36% low income explains everything, but don’t deal with the fact that Brookside, just a few miles away has 86% low income (in other words a far greater variation between two CSD schools than between your example and NCS) you are not only not paying attention, you truly believe that facts don’t matter.
May be worth doing some reading on what has happened in New Orleans and think if that’s what we want. They were faced with a great ‘opportunity’ post-Katrina…now they are 75% charter, all-choice (no neighborhood schools, dwindling traditional schools).
Also, no collective bargaining rights for the teachers’ union…
The results you are mentioning in NOLA are derived from the
lessons learned by Dr. Paul Vallas and his knowledge of the
Baldrige recipient: Community Consolidated School District, IL
and others and supported, in part by, a rich quality education community of supporters.
Dr. Vallas, came from Chicago and then thru to Philadelphia and
saw – in my opinion – an unusual opportunity to rebuild the education
system…we should be so lucky.
Need more info…just ask.
Pandora as you can see I provided a link to Kuumba’s board meeting minutes and I was very to surprised to see K-12 desire. But I think that is long-term thinking as they need to expand to middle school first. And yes on the BofA building!
A quick total of student at city public elementary schools gives me approx. 3,200 elementary students.
There are 526 public middle schoolers at Bayard Middle and 946 public middle schoolers at PS duPont middle school (approx. 300 in the TAG program.) So let’s figure approx. 1,200 city public middle school kids. I didn’t even attempt to figure out city middle school kids in suburban schools.
Let’s look at the Charters coming to Wilmington, and I’m going to need help figuring this out…
2,000 seat charter at BofA
Dual Language Charter near Lewis – how many seats?
Kuumba looking to expand to K-12 – how many seats?
Possible: Odyssey considering the old Wanamaker’s building – approx. 2,000 seats
Am I missing any charters coming to Wilmington? That’s a lot of charter. And it needs to be discussed. There has to be a plan that looks at the overall impact.
Steve called me a troll!!!!!!
Woooohoooooo!
oops, I meant pseudo social science, ignore poverty guy called me a troll!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
@DDC, your approach to “facts” reminds me of this “proof” of a ghostly apparition.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGLYN6LkM3c&version=3&hl=en_US%5D
Message to the person who wanted to post under “Misc” We don’t try to out people’s ID’s here or where they live. If you have a beef with Pandora go to her blog Delaware Liberal and send her a E-mail with R-mailed provided there. I’d protected you ID like anyone here. Sorry for the inconvenience. Post another comment and rephrase it please. Thank you
Gotta love blogging.
A fucking Rick ROLL. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!
Do trolls have their uses?
Worth considering difference between Downes Elementary and NCS elementary grades . . . .
Downes has 465 students, NCS K-5=862
Downes demographics
20% African-American, 8% Asian, 8% Hispanic, 62% White, 36% Low Income, 6% Special Education
NCS demogaphics
11% African-American, 12% Asian, 4% Hispanic, 68% White, 15% Low Income, 5% Special Education
Downes suspension rate 1%
NCS suspension rate 2%
Uh, the higher poverty school has the lower suspension rate?
Downes % meeting math standards
Grade 2=85%; Grade 3=90%; Grade 4=87%; Grade 5=69% [Grade 5 scores affected by having twice the average number of special needs students as other grades]
NCS % meeting math standards
Grade 2=99%; Grade 3=97%; Grade 4=97%; Grade 5=93%
Interesting–In any other conversation a school achieving a pretty consistent 85-90% of student meeting math standards would be considered a damn fine school, and nobody would be making excuses for it. One wonders . . . .
Downes % meeting reading standards
Grade 2=78%; Grade 3=79%; Grade 4=75%; Grade 5=71%
NCS % meeting reading standards
Grade 2=97%; Grade 3=89%; Grade 4=89%; Grade 5=91%
Interesting again–Downes numbers are lower, but still overall quite good. But note something else–the Downes’ consistency. NCS shows a significant 8% drop after Grade 2 that isn’t made up by Grade 5, whereas Downes seems to do a better job maintaining a consistent score. One wonders again . . . .
With respect to AYP, it is interesting to note (you’d have to look at the graphs on the DOE pages) that Downes actually has quite comparable numbers of students in all categories meeting or exceeding the ELA and Math standards.
Here’s the point–if you were to do a regression analysis that controlled for low income population, you would discover (I’m 90% sure; haven’t taken the time to do it) that Downes Elementary does just about as well as NCS.
Maybe we should be asking CSD what Downes Elementary does right instead of assuming all goodness naturally flows from NCS . . . .
Totally see your point @snewton but I think it’s worth looking at other communities, despite complications, and the problems they face as a result. Since, at the risk of being way hyperbolic, we could get to a similar place soon with a different set of cold-blooded decisions…
As someone who has substitute taught in all of the middle and high schools of Christina and Brandywine School Districts and who has volunteered in both Downes and NCS, I can agree with Newark Dad’s observations.
While substitute teaching, I witnessed fights on an almost daily occurrence. Students were rude, disruptive, and undisciplined. Granted, I was a substitute teacher, and students tend to try to abuse the sub, and when teachers fail to leave any classroom instructions, you know that it will be a long day. But, even looking past that and ruling out the special substitute treatment, what could be observed in the halls and the cafeteria was daunting.
When I volunteered at Downes I felt unwanted. I had the distinct impression that parents were not welcome in school. It was a tough year for them, CDS had lost a lot of taxpayer money, and maybe that was the reason for the sour grapes. But, I would have thought that an interested parent willing to help would have been welcomed in their school.
Volunteering at NCS is a joy. I am greeted and thanked. The staff makes me feel as though I am wanted and appreciated. When I observe the behavior of the middle school children, I can’t believe that they are the same age as the middle schoolers that I taught in CDS. I have never witnessed a fight or an altercation at NCS. I have never even noticed an escalation in tensions.
And, no, NCS is not filled with rich kids. My family certainly does not come even close to that definition. (It is rather insulting that many people seem to think that we don’t exist.) But, the school is filled with students who understand how to behave. The students understand the importance and value of an education. Their parents understand the importance of parental involvement.
The secret “elixir” of education is a combination of interested and involved parents, students, teachers and administration. When you miss one of those elements, the result is failure and no amount of tax payer dollars will create success.
?@NewarkDad said:
” I do recall that the attitude of the people in the main office at Downes was harsh and unwelcoming, while at NCS they seemed to be happy to see me. Maybe it is a trickle down effect? I really don’t know.”
Fucking liar.
@kryan: While substitute teaching [at Downes], I witnessed fights on an almost daily occurrence.
It would be interesting to know what year that was. Downes had only 7 suspensions last year. NCS had 25. Even given the disparity in size that means a child was twice as likely to be suspended at NCS.
Not suggesting that you are wrong, but perhaps your information is outdated (context makes it seem several years ago), and schools do change.
My meta-point for NCS parents: it is not necessary for all CSD schools to be considered zoos for NCS to be considered good.
@pandora gotta love blogging.
Sometimes. Then again, sometimes not. But you and I and Kilroy and Mike O. and John Young will all still be here when the rest of them have gone home.
I never said that I substituted at Downes. I said that I was at the middle and the high schools. Downes is and was elem. All that I did at Downes was volunteer.
I’ve also never said that I thought Downes was failing. In fact, their scores are quite good (along with those of West Park). This illustrates that a local charter school does not cause the surrounding schools to fail – in fact the competition could drive further success.
But, I will restate that what I witnessed in the middle and high school was an entirely different story.
kryan–sorry the context of your comment looked like you were referring to fights at Downes.
Nonetheless, the point of my response (it is not necessary for all CSD schools to be considered zoos for NCS to be considered good.) is substantiated by your statement:
This illustrates that a local charter school does not cause the surrounding schools to fail – in fact the competition could drive further success.
You actually have zero evidence for that contention, unless you have cited data connecting an improvement in Downes’ scores over the past five years (do you actually know if they have gone up or down?) to competition from NCS (and exactly how would you document this in either qualitative or quantitative terms?).
It is far more likely that Downes was always a pretty good school, and has continued to be one, than that perceived competition from NCS has forced them to change. But, hey, I’m an evidence-driven individual, so if you have evidence to the contrary, bring it to the party.
“NCS had 25. Even given the disparity in size that means a child was twice as likely to be suspended at NCS.” – one difference could be that at NCS kids can get suspended for getting a certain number of demerits. I just asked my son if he knew the number, he didn’t but thinks its between 5-10 demerits.. and I think it is an amount that falls within a certain time frame, but not sure what that is either. Demerits can and are given for simple things, but the smaller ‘offenses’ always come with warnings first. So it could be that suspensions are more often at NCS just because they ‘get in trouble easier’ there. I am just trying to explain why that number could vary. I am not saying anything about Downs because I’ve never even been there. My two older kids went to McVey. I loved most of their teachers, the secretary was great, and I loved the principal. She absolutely loved the kids and the parents. She would do things like come to school dances and dance with the kids.
I never noticed fights there, I don’t think ever. I will say there were quite a few teachers that did not want parents coming in to volunteer for anything really except maybe a holiday party. So that would make me feel rather disconnected for the whole year from that class.
So it could be that suspensions are more often at NCS just because they ‘get in trouble easier’ there.
But again, there’s no actual data to support that statement. For example, you don’t know that Downes doesn’t use a similar system–you are simply advocating by extension that a suspension at NCS is essentially for a lesser offense than those received by the kids at Downes.
Not that you’re necessarily wrong, but folks look at the pattern: any time somebody makes a claim (no matter how well substantiated) that a CSD public school might be doing something well, the immediate response is (a) well, NCS really does it better and this is why; followed by (b) some other fairly unrelated shot at the public school in question.
I don’t think that you guys recognize that every positive thing said about a CSD school is not an attack on NCS, and not every critcism of NCS is a call for its destruction.
@snewton929, I hope my post didn’t come across like I was saying Downes was out of control. That was not my impression. The classroom of students I worked with were pretty unpleasant, though. It was just a different vibe.
And yes, the main office at Downes was very unwelcoming. There was a secretary (I assume) who sat all the way on the other wide of the room from the main counter, over near the windows, and on numerous occasions I had to stand there waiting to be noticed, and when I finally acquired her attention she would glare as if I had interrupted her otherwise peaceful day. I was a parent there to volunteer, for criminy sakes. The principal was always very friendly, but that secretary, yeesh.
Contrast that with Newark Charter where one immediately feels welcome. Every time and from every person I have ever encountered while volunteering there.
Granted, my sample size is quite small, so as I said before this was my own experience. Generalizations from a single person’s experience are sometimes accurate, but often not or only partially.
Sorry to follow up on my own post. I meant to also add that my children enjoyed their time at Downes. I have no complaints about the education they received while they were there. There were many solid and dedicated teachers who nurtured their students and did a great job.
@coolspringer–comparisons with Nawlins are somewhat complicated by the fact that there was also a cold-blooded decision not to rebuild about 65% of the poorest neighborhoods, which still stand empty . . . .
So, I think DDC has confirmed by her reaction that she is the secretary in the main office at XXXXXXXX.
You dad! You don’t know that for a fact and not fair to real person in the position
Kilroy.
We as a community / society must decide through our local school boards how we value (or don ‘t) our teachers. Do we want them to earn living wages? Do we want them to be as healthy as possible? Or do we think they have relatively easy jobs and should be happy spending time with our sweetiepies without minding what they earn, how many extra hours they must work, and who is in charge? Just thinking….
This what Arne Duncan had the nerve to say about the devastation of Katrina: [youtubehttp://youtu.be/wtLB8MNRimQ]
Opportunist much?
This what Arne Duncan had the nerve to say about the devastation of Katrina:
Opportunist much?