There are few things sadder to me than to see small children standing in front of a microphone begging to keep their schools open. But that’s Memphis. It’s also Chicago, Philadelphia and New York and on and on. If you don’t yet have charter schools taking over your public schools don’t blink. They’re coming. They may already be negotiating with your local school board and you just don’t know it yet.
The names of the real public schools set for closure in Memphis are Klondike, Graves, Alcy, Gordon, Riverview, Shannon and Westhaven elementaries, Riverview Cypress, Corry, Lanier, and Vance middle schools and Northside High. I mention the school names because I think they matter.
Pretty soon they will be KIPP or Yes Prep, or Cornerstone or some chain charter beholden to a business venture…not the public. The same school you find in Memphis will be found in California or Florida or wherever. It won’t be unique or special. The name won’t matter.
Or some well-intended (we will be told) minister or businessperson will take over, promising to do it better than the real educators who once had some semblance of education professionalism. The Achievement School District will be over it all in Memphis and expanding. Teach for America rules, where the belief is less is more.
They won’t do it better but we will be told that they need to keep having chances to get it right or the grading scales will be lowered for them. How many children will eventually graduate who know how to march in line and take orders but little else?
It is interesting to me how parents in poor communities don’t seem to be buying into the Waiting for Superman propaganda that they bought several years ago. They realize funds have been drained from their schools and that things have been done to them to make them fail—rotting buildings where most of us wouldn’t want to set foot. Yet, these parents don’t want to lose what little they have.
I’m proud of them for recognizing the value of their neighborhood. They realize, as one parent noted, their school is the anchor in their community.
It’s sad really on many different fronts. For me, charters once had great promise for teachers and real public schools—the old Ray Budde, Albert Shanker plan. But they are all about making money now.
Speaking of which, the Memphis suburbs might feel all warm and cozy that they got their schools back, after the hostile takeover, no matter how segmented and how many tax dollars they have to pay…but don’t you blink either. They’re coming for your schools too. It may not be today or tomorrow…but they’re working in the backrooms to figure out a way.
Goodbye real school boards—where the democratic voice of the people can be heard—where you can complain about the books that are being used or the curriculum that is being taught. Your public schools…well they just aren’t public and they just aren’t yours anymore.
“Goodbye real school boards—where the democratic voice of the people can be heard—where you can complain about the books that are being used or the curriculum that is being taught.”
Yes, you can complain about the books being used or the curriculum being taught – until you are blue in the face. Charter schools are becoming popular because of the hope that a school that has to compete for your student and her tax dollars will be more responsive than the school boards elected through the efforts of teachers unions and beholden to them.
For four years I’ve been advocating for educational options for gifted learners in our district – and gotten nowhere. They don’t need to respond. They have all the power and we are stuck. If I have a charter school come and demonstrate that they will educate gifted children at the level and rate they need, why wouldn’t I switch?
In Michigan, the threat of charter schools has been a huge motivator for public schools. When cyber-schools threatened to provide opportunities that parents had wanted, several ISDs got together to create a public one. Public schools that don’t offer gifted services have been fighting tooth and nail against allowing gifted charter schools because they know they will lose top students. They complain that charter schools will get the full allowance to educate these gifted children that they only spend about $4500 per student on and redistribute the rest of the money to other students. Why wouldn’t I want to send my child to a school where HER full funding is used to educate HER?
I know many in public schools see charter schools as their evil enemy. For parents whose kids are being failed by the public schools, charter schools are necessary – evil or not.
No, they’re not. If the charter schools have the “answer” to the public school problem, then let’s hear it and then let’s implement it in *all* the public schools. Right now. With no delay.
But they don’t have the answer…they just offer an escape hatch for the students they deem worthy to accept, i.e. children who are self-motivated or who have parents who are motivated and involved. The rest of the children who don’t meet the grade or have parents who can provide transportation or fund the extras are left in increasingly underfunded and understaffed public schools.
I guess you’re good with that, as long your kid is okay. Some of us OTOH think that all students deserve to just as okay as your kid.
Thank you for your response, Min.
Min,
I wish the public schools believed that my kids deserve to be just as OK as other students. Unfortunately, it has only been lip service to gifted kids making a year’s growth as little to no adjustment in curriculum or instruction is provided to cause this growth. If the public schools believed my children were worth educating at their levels and paces, I would see much less need for charter schools. However, I cannot support an institution that continues to give the middle finger to my kids.
Charter schools have presented answers that work. Most public schools have chosen not to implement them. I’ve worked hard to try to get some of these answers implemented in my local public schools, but they have no interest.
I will not sacrifice the future of my children because other parents are not involved or to a system that refuses to appropriately educate them. The other kids will not be harmed by my kids leaving, but the schools may be mad because they will lose a few kids pushing up their scores that haven’t had to worry about.
Hi Joshua,
Thanks for posting. Perhaps, without spending too much of your time, you could let us know what kind of charter schools you have there in the great state of Michigan. Cyber schools? I’m puzzled.
Nancy,
We have regular charter schools and cyber charter schools. Some of the charter schools are ones that were put in failing areas of the state where there have been abysmal graduation rates. Some have been charter schools dedicated to STEM, arts, character, African-American culture, and other options that the public schools didn’t offer. We also have cyber charter schools, which have been good for kids who have physical, social, emotional, or other issues, kids who travel regularly, and kids who work at a different pace than typical.
Parents had wanted local public schools to fix educational issues, offer magnet programs, or provide cyber schooling, but they were not doing it. The increase in charter schools has led more public schools to offer magnet programs and cyber schooling.
My district is top-rated and very good for average and struggling students. However, it has little for gifted students, so a group of parents is in the early stages of creating a charter school that will meet the needs of gifted children. We simply cannot let our kids suffer the neglect of our local public schools any longer.
Thanks again, Joshua. I tend to believe public schools have been in a rut due to harmful public policy (NCLB RTTT)–poor funding etc. There has been an intentional push to privatize for many years. Charters are a way to do it.
And most charters I’d say are not the kind you describe and certainly not the ones I wrote about. Detroit charters?
Of course public schools should have a decent gifted program. But who will want to privatize if public schools are good?
Magnets sure–they aren’t charters.
I get the frustration of the parents you note. Also, children just get one go around. If Mi gives your parents a green light to create a great charter I’d say go for it! But I still feel sorry for the poor Kipsters (KIPP)etc. And I’d rather see all schools be really public. Of course, I might add that private and parochial schools are fine too for those who want something different.
Some charters are poor. Some are very good. I have friends who are planning to switch to a Detroit charter school and drive 45 minutes each way from our suburbs because the charter school will provide services our very good public schools will not.
Yes, some are bad, but the CREDO study showed that Michigan’s charter schools are doing very well for students.
As far as privatization goes, it should be a parent’s choice if their kids go to a public school or a ‘privatized’ charter school. I don’t believe the charter school movement is driven because of a desire to privatize schooling and destroy public schools, but because many people believe the public schools are not performing as well as they should and that schools not run by the public could perform better.
You may prefer all schools be really public. I would prefer that parents have the choice of public, charter, private, parochial, home, cyber, or other without penalty.
Joshua, who will run your gifted charter school? Just curious.
This makes me so sad to hear. Even though I do not live there anymore I still want Memphis to do well.
Hi Janna,
Memphis misses you. ( :
Joshua Raymond,
I don’t know where your child attends school but you might have more luck going through the Special Education Department for your gifted child. The gifted and talented students in our district are tested and given an IEP so that their needs are met. It is all under the SPED umbrella. Also, you might try a 504 through the guidance office if SPED is too much for you. Also, if your child’s school has honors or AP or IB classes or dual enrollment then those are options ( if she is in high school ). Teachers aren’t against Charter schools- we are against corporate take-over of our public schools and our careers being taken by people with NO experience who do not plan on teaching longer than two years at the most. I don’t want to lose my school or my career.
Lucianna,
Unfortunately in Michigan, g/t kids do not fall under SPED. They get no IEPs or 504s. If we want gifted services, our choices are to provide them at home, pay $15k+ a year for a private school aimed at gifted, move to a district that has services, or find a charter school that will provide services. The charter school we are looking at starting is parent-driven, not corporate take-over. We want great teachers because these are our kids.
Here you answered my question from above, Joshua. I am appalled your public schools lack gifted services.
Thanks for posting, Lucianna.