pobod

http://dianeravitch.net/2013/10/15/what-you-need-to-know-about-new-york-citys-charter-schools/

NYC charters are terrible but due to investments from hedge fund types who want to make a profit, highly profitable. All are really private schools. Some outright private others “privately managed” payong huge salaries.

Charters are public when they want public money and private when they wish to be exempted from public labour laws.

This game won’t last.

The advocates for public schools will do anything, using any means to halt the advancement of charter schools in New York City, that provides choice for low-income children on the most part and people who are stuck in low performing public schools or public schools that are not meeting the education needs of families and their children. Who would considered a public school where students have to line up like cattle, to go through scanners checking for weapons, and then be welcome into an environment of peeling paint on walls, leaky roofs, and just prior to being carded by the police as the students are stepping off the subway?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dToMPAimCEE

Or this video on the most dangerous school in the United States. Not New York City, but it will do as showing the negatives of the public education establishment…............https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9gT_Nc41s4

As for the mayoral candidate - “Mr. de Blasio would seek to slow the growth of charter schools by charging them rent to use space in existing school buildings. He would end the practice of closing low-performing public schools, which has historically opened up valuable real estate for use by charters. He said that, instead of assisting charter schools, he would focus resources on improving traditional public schools and expanding access to health care and social services.”
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/08/27/nyregion/where-the-mayoral-candidates-stand-on-key-issues.html?_r=0

What is not mentioned are the lawsuits - In April of 2013, A judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking $100 million in rent from charter schools that have for years occupied space for free in public school buildings.
http://gothamschools.org/2013/04/29/judge-dismisses-suit-to-make-co-located-charter-schools-to-pay-rent/

An earlier 2011 article - http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/lawsuit-filed-in-new-york-city-charter-schools-should-start-paying-rent/

Another 2011 article - If charter schools were getting that kind of funding as indicated, no doubt the charter schools would moved out of the public school facilities, to rented premises. http://ibo.nyc.ny.us/cgi-park/?p=272

Background information - A Guide to Charter Schools in New York State - http://www.p12.nysed.gov/psc/documents/csparentguide.PDF

And a well written paper on the myths of Charter Schools in New York State- It concludes - “Reasonable people who care about public education may differ about the role for - profit contractors and private donors play in supporting our schools. Unfortunately, the charter school sector has done a poor job of explaining the difference between the two, leading the ill-informed to speculate that Wall Street donors are trying to profit from poor children. This myth is unfair to the dedicated educators working in public charter schools, and New York’s healthy debate over public education would be better off without it.” http://www.dfer.org/The Charter School Profit Myth.pdf

If by chance, the charter schools in New York City are forced to pay rent, their funding from local, state and federal sources will increase to cover the extra expense of renting. I seriously doubt the mayoral candidate if he should become mayor of New York City, will charge charter schools for rent. For one thing, he will have to deal with the courts at the end because charters schools are publicly funded and is NOT a private school. The mayoral candidate would be better off to eliminate the carding of the K to 12 students by the police in the lower income neighbourhoods as their step off the subway on their way to school, whether it is public or charter.

pobod

The good thing is, as the studies begin to pile up it is clear from the testing ironicaly insisted on by corporate reformers, tht vouchers and charter not only do not do better but increasing are doing substantially worse than public schools.

This failure fad will soon be over.

On the other side of the equation - the evidence is mounting that the public education system should start to clean up their own doorstep, before smearing the opponents of school choice.

“A report released on Tuesday by Moody’s Investors Service found that while most public school districts have weathered the rise of charter schools without a negative fiscal impact, certain risk factors are making it harder for districts in economically challenged areas to remain financially viable as charters continue to grow.

The report outlines four major factors that can lead to charters taking a toll on a district’s finances. “
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/charterschoice/2013/10/new_report_charter_boom_may_have_negative_fiscal_impact_on_districts.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2

And here: “Colleges are eager for new ways to get students through developmental courses and boost college completion. Between 60 and 70 percent of incoming community college students are required to enroll in at least one developmental math course to get up to speed for a credit-bearing class. Nearly 80 percent of those students fail and are not able to complete college, according to information provided by Carnegie. New research reported by Sarah Sparks finds that many students who test into remedial classes in college don’t really need them.”
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/college_bound/2013/03/promising_results_of_new_intensive_approach_to_developmental_math.html?qs=math

And here: “Nonetheless, the achievement gaps persist. While 83 percent of white students graduated from public high schools on time in school year 2009-10, only 66 percent of African-American and 71 percent of Hispanic students did so. By 2021, white students will account for only 48 percent of elementary and secondary school enrollments. We face rising competition—from China, India, and across the globe—and don’t have a single brain to spare. When students do graduate and head to college today, 40 percent arrive unprepared for college-level work and require remedial courses as freshmen or sophomores. If they are unprepared in general, they are even less prepared to major in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields critical to economic competitiveness.”  http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/op_education/2013/04/Hrabowski_gaps_persist.html?qs=math

And in the New York Times - “One huge challenge is that only about 22 percent of students who started ninth grade in 2008 were college-ready by state measures when they graduated in 2012. Improving on that distressingly low figure has to be a high priority. “
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/07/opinion/sunday/a-new-education-mayor.html?pagewanted=1&adxnnlx=1381950472-xlxmDiA2K5vA9DjcdBltjw

The above link is for the public schools, and charter schools has a much better rate on ensuring that students graduate. Whoever will become mayor, would have to ensure that the dismal data outcomes of public schools do not take another dive in mediocrity.

pobod

Even Dave Levin is worried about the fact that KIPP students fail to graduate from college.

Check the data under the Win Win thread

Charters and vouchers are increasingly being outpaced by public schools even with their corporate top ups, even with their incredible expulsion rates,

Nancy, you should be most worried about special ed where charters just seldom admit them or push them out.

Charters and vouchers are increasingly a disaster. You will get it eventually. I guess. The formula does not work.

You could provide the link Doug - Win Win thread?

The public education system basically offers baby sitting service for the SE kids, considering that anywhere between 94 to 96 % of SE kids are at the bottom of the achievement charts, and approximately 80 % of the SE students including the garden variety LD kids never do received a regular diploma. Just a certificate for sticking it out for 12 years, and putting up with the third tiered education.

Another public education stat, that comes out every year is the fact that only 6 % of the 10 to 15 %  of the dyslexics/LD are identified by the United States public schools. Out of the 6 % that are identified, they are usually identified by threat of civil suit by parents or by the private psychologists where parents are picking up the tab. Thirdly, the likelihood of the 6 % being identified are students in the higher income groups, leaving 40 to 60 % of students of lower income,never being identified as having LD or dyslexia by the public schools.

Of the few studies by the charter schools, the few children who have some type of disability, and not necessarily LD, has been shown to be beneficial to the students in the charter schools, in terms of achievement. Positive effects, and yet the public education system has refused to study the charter schools who have had great success with their SE students.

As for Canada - the figures are even more dismal for the SE children compared to the United States. As for Canadian students being prepared for post-secondary - the figure jumps from 40 to 60 % depending on where one is looking. Not really being track or being discussed at the upper levels of the education system. The upper crust is way too busy minding the whims and cares of the foreign students paying three times the tuition to be bother with Canadian students who are not very well prepared after coming out of 12 years of schooling.

However, there might be hope in the next get-together of the educators and educationalists. “Over three hundred delegates from across Canada will be gathering in Calgary on Oct 21-22 to identify the barriers that prevent change from taking hold in Canadian public education.”

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1527522#ixzz2hvNd9hOG

That is if they can get over themselves, get rid of the attitude, and look squarely at the realities on the ground. Not a pretty picture - in fact quite ugly…........and the data outcome streams are clearly showing the ugliness.

pobod

The charters and vouchers are aware of the criticism so they keep the lightest LD kids to be able to sag they have some. Their #1 objective though is to show higher scores than public schools. Increasingly, they cannot do it. The more charters there are, the weaker each one is as they scramble for bodies.

Every time new test scores are released the worse charters and vouchers do. Scroll down a few stories to the win win thread.

The majority of schools are public schools compared to charter schools. Read and reap it Doug - the market share of charter schools in the USA.
http://www.edweek.org/media/napcsmarketshare-13charters.pdf

The demand for charter schools will just increase, because the public schools continues to denied education services that allows students to advance themselves academically and take advantage of the educational opportunities.

In order for students to take advantage of the textbook and new knowledge, children must have a solid foundation in the 3 Rs. Parents especially the low-income parents get a wee bit upset, when the public schools tells parents, little Johnnie doesn’t have a reading problem, then proceeds to put little Johnnie into the SPED class,against the objections of the parents.

Even though charter schools represent only 5 % in the USA - 2 million students - the public education stakeholders are very threatened by the charter school. If what the public school advocates have claim, then why are they so bother by a tiny portion where the public schools are in the majority? Could it be, too many public school parents are making demands that the public education stakeholders do not want to provide? 

Perhaps if the public schools focus on their own problems, like cleaning off their doorstep, and introduced education reforms that would have each and every child reading and writing at grade level or above by the end of the grade 3 would stem the flow of students leaving the public school?  Dumb the horrible math curriculum and whole language (balanced literacy) would be a great start. More importantly, dumped the 19th century learning theories and pedagogy and come into the 21st century, where working memory figures prominently in the 21st century learning theories.

I highly doubt charter schools are a threat, since they are too busy trying to get the kids up to grade level and ready for post-secondary.  I don’t think the charter schools have the time to put wrenches in the public education system, compare to the public education advocates who at every opportunity are throwing wrenches into the charter schools and anyone else or thing that they see as being a threat. Including the kids in the low-income neighborhoods who are being carded by the police on their way to school. Somehow, the public education advocates think that it is okay, and will not protest. But give the public education advocates and the unions a charter school - they will protest until the cows come home.

pobod

The chaters and voucher DO WORSE THAN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Yes American public schools often have terrible results but 100% of the 5000 worst schools in America are in poor black and hispanic areas. It has zero to do with the teachers, admin or curriculum.

These people want a chance for something to get out of their situation but charters and vouchers are not the solutions. They are failing. Their test results are WORSE than the public schools.

You need to start to look at the ACTUAL RESULTS. The time for NO EXCUSES now applies to charters and voucher.

Milwaukee vouchers worse than public schools

New orleans vouchers a total disaster

Cleveland vouchers worse than public schools

NYC charters worse than public schools

Reformers demanded the testing

The new Common Core testing shows KIPP does really badly

Time for NO EXCUSES charter and vouchers, cut the rhetoric and read the numbers.

I just got off the Curriculum Services Canada - watching a few videos of the Canadian education gurus.

My my, what the web that is being spun around achievement in students. Apparently, it is ALL about the equity + human rights + SES variables that leads to achievement that the principals of the schools should followed by tracking the data achievement of students.

Is there any wonder why students who are at the 50 % mark, stay at the 50 % mark because according to the public education gurus it is all about motivating the students to work a little harder.

No wonder according to the latest report by the OECD, the low levels in literacy and numeracy is now at the 50 % mark, with matching sets in the other European countries. Why would anyone want to attend a public school if there is only a 50% chance that your child will come out with a good set of literacy and numeracy skills???

Now following along this line of thinking, a charter school having more autonomy and are free to change pedagogy and education practices of the classroom that will improved overall literacy and numeracy skills that will begin the pathway of steady achievement - has a much better chance of improving the odds that their children will walked out of the K to 12 charter education system with a good set of literacy and numeracy skills, and more importantly a solid C+ average or higher, that allows the future doors to be open for post-secondary.

Anything has to be better than the current ideology of the public education establishment of deciding if a student needs help based on their social-income status and external variables!  Is that the reason why parents are flocking to the charter schools, willing to sit on waiting lists because the public schools are deciding the education fates of the individual students on the basis of a narrowed criteria of external variables created by the education establishment based on ideologies of the 19th century - who will and who will not received the education services and education opportunities in the 21st century classroom?

Crazy, and the majority of parents understand it intuitively but may not be able to express it in words. However, it is expressed in emotions - “Yeah being poor sucks, but my kid can’t read!”, and many other variations. 

The public education system, as it stands today is not the solution when the public schools are producing a steady supply of 50 to 60 % of graduating students with lower literacy, numeracy and technology skills because the public education stakeholders refuses to change their 19th century pedagogy, education and curriculum practices and bring it up to the 21st century learning and cognitive practices based on the science.

At least charter schools are striving to remain in the 21st century using innovative practices that does not have the claim of the 19th century belief structure in play and magical thinking that if the students are taught in motivation techniques and human rights - the achievement of students will improve. Charter schools actually uses direct explicit instruction when it comes to improving the literacy and numeracy skills of their students, by using the 21st century tools and the science of learning, plus by inserting what the public education system has long thrown out of the curriculum - grammar, writing mechanics, spelling and standard algorithms.

Hear Hear Nancy!
Also,what is it with Curriculum Service Canada??

What exactly do they service in Canada,what makes them an authority,rather,who are they in bed with defending the status quo?

Curriculum Services Canada is one of the key organizations that aids and abets the agendas and interests of the public education stakeholders and the overall education establishment ability to have total control over the curriculum and instructional methods of the education systems of both alternative and public sectors.

Since its incorporation in 1993, CSC has evolved from a curriculum resource clearinghouse to a Pan-Canadian educational service agency that designs quality solutions for learning.  http://www.curriculum.org/content/our-story

Note: The creation of the Curriculum Services Canada has also maintains the myth, that the ministry of education and the political arm has total control over the content of the curriculum, and by extension the the political arm of the government. Nothing could be further from the truth, because in all areas of curriculum development - the stamp of approval - the CSA seal.

It is why one will never see Jump Math or a reading instructional program based on the Orton-Gillingham method ever or even a history text describing in detail the differences between communism, socialism, Marxism, Fascism and other political terms.  Having classrooms filled with students with good to excellent skills in literacy and numeracy, and a solid base of basic knowledge sets would put an end to the pedagogues rooted in the 19th century, that blames outside SES factors, such as blaming parents.

Charter schools have been given the freedom to innovate such as the introduction of Direct Instruction or the reintroduction of grammar lesson to improve the writing skills of students. My favourite part of reading the stories of charter schools, are the students learning new knowledge and skill sets that are no longer a part of the public education system.

Useful information and knowledge, that aids in easier navigation in their adulthood.  There will always be the essential need that all citizens and not just some students will need a solid foundation in the 3 Rs. I greatly admire the charter schools and their mission when addressing the low income education needs. .

Too bad, the Canadian organizations wholly created by the educator class such as the CSA, are getting in the way by effective blocking of reforms in the areas of choice and alternative instructional practices based on the 21st century science of learning. It is why, one would be hard press to find a school anywhere in Canada, where 95 % to 97 % of the students in the classroom are at grade level or above in literacy, numeracy and other basic skills needed to access the doors of knowledge. According to the education theorists of the public education K to 12 - it is impossible to raise the level of achievement for all students. The reason being that 50 % of the population will never obtain average levels in the 3 Rs.

Yes, Joanne I finally ferret the reasons why the lawyers representing the BC school board at the Supreme Court of Canada concerning the Moore case, that on March 22, 2012 - not only stated that 50 % of all students (not just the dyslexics) will not reached average levels in reading but as well in black and white in their factum to the Supreme Court without providing the evidence to support their claim of a statistical fact. It all goes back to the 19th century educational theorists, of where people like myself (being a dyslexic) are just too thick for school and are not worth the effort and the expense….............and you know the rest of the story. However, I have yet to find the data piece of the 50 % in black and white in the data streams, but I suspect it is buried so deep in the bowels of the public education system, in fear of the parents from all social-income groups revolting demanding the end of the public education system and its model rooted in the 19th century.

I know, the lawyers would not be lying at the Supreme Court of Canada. That is why I am so persistence in following this trail, and all thanks to the persistence of my elementary school teachers who did the impossible - taught me to read before I had full capacity and command of verbal speech in the 1960s. Now in 2013, with all of the advances being made, I am certain that the vast majority of 95 to 97 % can reached their full academic potential. It is why I do so admire the charter schools into breaking away from the public schools’ standard repetitive cycles of fads and practices rooted in the 19th century education and learning theories that are so unkind to the 70 % of students in the classroom.

As for CSA - they truly believe they are an authority. In reality, they are an authority on the 19th century education theories and pedagogues. Today, they are the authority that children like my daughter are incapable of achieving at high levels. Choice, is the only way out of this dilemma that the public education stakeholders has complete command of who will and who will not received a quality education.

Nancy,you get more insightful and knowledgeable every day.

I don’t think school choice will come along anytime soon and in spite of the fact it gives parents power and the schools get out of their shackles as far as curriculum,your efforts to expose the truth as far as specifics like CSC and Supreme Court documents that expose a school board’s low expectations-a 50 percent achievement is their goal due to excuses based on SES are very very valuable for the present.
Brookings Institute said the problem was that the majority of kids were in public school and as much as we’re all for charters as an eventual solution,the kids are stuck in them.

On the Educhatter discussion on Math that we’re both following,I went to read the Little Report as Professor Craigen did and I finally saw clearly that results are of no concern whatsoever to the Union crowd.Give me the money is their motto,no nuances!That’s why discussions based on fact and knowledge are never engaged in and logic never prevails.I finally get it.Democracy is over,they are growing and bullying every government.That’s why the landmark Moore case Must be put to good use.

POSTED ON BEHALF OF DOUG

1) Don Drummond, the guy you love on the Ontario budget, says there is no skills shortage.

2) Canada is #4 With real nations in math.

3) If anyone actually wants to raise math results as a priority, all they have to do is have specialist teachers from grade 1.

4) Are test results critical and reliable? Tests show that vouchers and charters now almost universally score lower than public schools. Should we close them.

I prefer to think of the glass as half full, rather than half empty. I had to think like that, when dealing with the local school officials and schools, concerning my youngest child. However, what started off in 2001 became a journey of fact finding and knowledge. I never realized how important my work skills in trouble shooting on the job, finding the wayward numbers to balance the accounts would come into play.

Now in the year 2013, I am finally looking at the big picture from the top - able to beam into the single network and from there the connections. I believed the real reason that the public education establishment ignores the facts and the new science is to protect their established political and authority hold on education. A while back, I was following another trail that led me back, tracing the emergence of the public education and their legal authority. My quest, was to find out what was happening on the ground in the various communities. I realized back then, that it was a complete fluke of geography location in Ontario, that I was allow to enter a public school. Back then, Ontario schools was not very kind to the kids who did not talk, and other children who did not fit the norm of the late 1950s and early 1960s. I never realized how innovative and advance the school I attended, compared to other schools in the area and indeed in the nearby cities. I never thought much of the conversations my mother had with her friends when I was younger. The subject was about schools…........and in the end, someone would asked how is Nancy doing in school. Another other location in Ontario, I would not be permitted in the local public school…..........because the public education establishment has the final say-so who will or will not be admitted in the public school.  Across Canada, and in places like Ontario - the historical goal of the public education system was to maintain authority, and still is today in 2013. The final say-so in all things education, where now in 2013 - instead of who will or will not be admitted, it has been transformed to ‘who will or will not received an education that reaches the students’ full academic potential.

No worries today for the public education establishment since they are the major provider for education in Canada. But as I stated before, I prefer to see the glass as half full - choice will come by revealing and exposing the hidden layers that the public establishment would like to keep buried and stay buried. The Ontario community that I was raised in, at one time everyone went to the public school, with a small percentage opting for private schools. Not anymore - over 50 % are homeschooling, private schools or even a public school in the cities - anything but the local school who at one time, had a stellar reputation in ensuring each and every child will have a good set of skills in the 3 Rs and general knowledge of the world. The school was even the first school in the region, to welcome a boy who was in a wheelchair in the 1970s. 

The above, is another trail that I am following,  how the public education establishment is destroying the cultural base of communities and replacing it with the public school ethos and their culture of myths that touches every aspect of education. I believed it started in the 1980s, incremental where the communities and people would not become alarm. I personally had glimpses of the changes when my oldest was going to the school that I went to. I did question it, but to my amazement and confusion, instead of getting an answer, the grade 2 teacher questioned my parent abilities. I soon learned after, other parents were face with the same - the parents shared one common trait - the report cards filled with As and Bs. I never did find out if parents whose kids had Cs or Ds were faced with the same thing, but somehow I doubt it. I was young, and by the time my oldest was in grade 4, we were living in the GTA, attending a Catholic school.

I am still working on this trail, but it provides further evidence towards my hypothesis - the cultural ethos of the public education system in Canada - the underlying beliefs and practices that shapes education policy and in the end, maintaining the legal authority granted to the public education system in the 19th century.

Yesterday, I read 3 different parent accounts in different spots in Canada, where the academic concerns concerning the 3 Rs were dismissed by suggesting to the parents it was a medical problem or a mental health problem. One should be alarmed, because I quickly concluded that given the public education monopoly on education, parents need to become educated on their rights and what lies behind the curtain, and beneath the cultural ethos of the public school and the bureaucracy.

The key is the parents - to break the hold of the public education system and its authority in all things education. If not, more dismal education outcomes. But, I do believed that the public education system are having great difficulties in maintaining their monopoly since the dawn of the 21st century. Time to hold the public education system to account for the bottom 50 % - the low achievers. I certainly would like to know, how is it possible for a student to stay at the 50 % mark in 12 years of schooling. How is it possible, for a student to maintain As and Bs in 12 years of schooling, even though the child has low decoding ability, but was never identified formally or did not meet the criteria for LD. The latter story, came from my 18 year old - she is meeting up with other university students like her, sharing their stories. She phoned the other day, after hearing another tale, far worse then her own story - she made me promise that I would become the head teacher, homeschooling. At the moment, all her kids will be homeschool…..... She is beginning to understand why I did what I did, starting in 2001.

There is something happening on the ground with parents across Canada. Parents are not happy campers with the public education system…....because whatever dreams the kids have had, the dreams are shattered when they leave the K to 12 education system. They discovered they received an eduction according to the social-income status based on the cultural ethos of the public education system. The parents don’t have enough information/knowledge that would empowered them to put it in words to go after the public education system.  It is hard to articulate when the parents’ only choice is the local school down the road, because of income and personal knowledge bases. The other choices, are seen as overwhelmingly out of reach while the school messages are all about how wonderful the progress of their children, who are maintaining a consistent 50 something average, and if they should object - the public education collectively moves in unison to force the parents to complied to the authority and expertise of the public education system.