Monday 19 November 2012

[WardFive] Re: [concerned4DCPS] Re: [ward5] What will come of the buildings on D.C.’s closed-school list? (Wash. Post, Capital Business)

Charter Schools came about in 1995 (DCPS Reform Act 1995) due to the poor performance of DC Public Schools.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_D.C._School_Reform_Act_of_1995_(Amended_in_1996). Anthony Williams did not become mayor until 1999.  Mayor Barry was mayor at the time serving his 4th term and final term. 
 
The Congressional installed DC Control Board had oversight of DC business in 1995, strongly influenced the opening of charter schools.  The Control Board implemented the Board of School Trustees in 1997 to replace the dysfunctional DC School Board. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/dc/control/schools.htm .  It was after the Control Board closed down that the elected school board was returned by DC legislation.  It was Mayor William's idea to have a "hybrid school board" made up of elected and appointed members with only 9 members when there was formally 11 members, with the President being appointed.  It was CM Carol Schwartz that forced the inclusion of a "sunshine" on this structure ( 1 member representing 2 Wards) which now exists today.  DCPS had oversight over charter school up until 2007, which was tranferred to the Public Charter School Board (PCSB) 
 
The PCSB has oversight over current Public Charter Schools (PCS).  There are also Council hearings on this matter under the Committee of the Whole.
 
Trying to stop PCS' just because you want to display support for the continually failing DCPS is based on a fallacy.  Yes, some PC schools have had the same problems with students who didn't receive the benefit of learning the fundamentals of education at HOME prior to entering school just like DCPS, however, due to the structure of PCS' they can take the time, provide encouragement and support that is not available in DCPS due to its outdated structure.
 
During my research for the 1995 hearing on the 4 related bills created by then CMs John Ray, Kathy Patterson, Bill Lightfoot, Kevin Chavous, Linda Cropp and current CM Jack Evans, the topic of charter schools came up time and time again, especially models including "specialized schools" that were already in action in other countries to address the job market demands of the 21st century.  From due dilligence, what are the rankings as of 2010:
 
There are countries that don't have the resources of the US, struggling to make ends meet that are ahead of the US.  And we now spend about $13,000.00 to supposedly educate a child in DCPS, close to the highest in the US.
 
It is unfair that the public funds available to PCS' is less than DCPS especially since they have to maintain their buildings unlike DCPS which has a separate budget (ex. DCPS' don't pay the light bills, central office does) have to pay their teachers less, and must hold continuous fundraisers to make ends meet.  Some PCS' have made great stride in achieving their goals with our children.
 
This is an important topic.  Those that post should at least do some research to validate their posts.  Without, this listserv is nothing more than a blog where you can say just anything.  There was over 24 posts on "Kaya Must Go", but none of the important issues raised during her testimony last Thurs that were asked about in some of the posts were answered because the posters wanted someone else to do it.  The "Business of Education" deserves at least educated opinions from those who want to weight in on the matter to educate others.
 
The question we should be answering is what will be DC's model for the "Business of Education" for the early stages of the 21st Century to meet the needs of all learners and changing the dynamics of DCPS of how they operate to meet the needs along with the public charters?
 
Albrette "Gigi" Ransom
From: Debbie Smith-Steiner <DLSmith112@msn.com>
To: "ward5@yahoogroups.com" <ward5@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: "ward5@yahoogroups.com" <ward5@yahoogroups.com>; "concerned4DCPS@yahoogroups.com" <concerned4DCPS@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2012 11:44 PM
Subject: Re: [concerned4DCPS] Re: [ward5] What will come of the buildings on D.C.'s closed-school list? (Wash. Post, Capital Business)
 
Let's not forget how we got here. During the Williams Administration it was said that DCPS was failing our children due to the bureaucracy.  Enter Charter schools -- no one having oversight of how our public dollars are being spent.  Charter schools use our money for start up capital using the per pupil formula.  Charter schools, on paper have a laid out plan for opening with a top heavy administration that has to be paid.  Oooops I have to finish this thought later .. Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed.

       Booker T. Washington
On Nov 18, 2012, at 11:33 PM, Debbie Smith-Steiner <DLSmith112@msn.com> wrote:
 
Amen tothat one!!Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed.

       Booker T. Washington
On Nov 18, 2012, at 11:10 PM, KPW <WKPW3@aol.com> wrote:
 
I would like to see the zip codes of students in all the charter and traditional schools throughout the city.  There are reasons why parents are sending their children elsewhere while some are staying in their neighborhoods.  It's time to look at broad based data to get at root causes for our less than spectacular schools.

KPW
-----Original Message-----From: Debbie Smith-Steiner <DLSmith112@msn.com>To: ward5 <ward5@yahoogroups.com>Cc: concerned4DCPS <concerned4DCPS@yahoogroups.com>; ward5 <ward5@yahoogroups.com>Sent: Sun, Nov 18, 2012 11:03 pmSubject: [concerned4DCPS] Re: [ward5] What will come of the buildings on D.C.'s closed-school list? (Wash. Post, Capital Business)
 
As more DCPS school buildings close, parents of the traditional school system are left with no other choice but to place their kids in near by Charter schools.  This process only exacerbate the problem with dwindled school enrollment in the traditional school system; which leads to low enrollment and then school closures.  

We need a moratorium on Charter schools.  Then, we need an assessment of each of the Charter schools campuses, not just the parent Charter.  Then let's compare the actual numbers to see how many students are actually enrolled in each of these charter campuses that are using the DCPS budget.  Then, let's see the Charter schools actually AYP for each one of the campuses.

  The under performing, under enrolled Charter school campuses need to close.  If not, then the calculated risk of losing our traditional school buildings will be a forgone conclusion -- the Charter school movement will have achieved its goal-- closing the traditional schools; increasing the enrollment of Charter schools and the developers get the buildings.  



Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed.

       Booker T. Washington
On Nov 18, 2012, at 10:33 PM, KPW <WKPW3@aol.com> wrote:
 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/what-will-come-of-the-buildings-on-dcs-closed-school-list/2012/11/16/9d12d7dc-2f6f-11e2-9f50-0308e1e75445_story.html?hpid=z6

What will come of the buildings on D.C.'s closed-school list?

Gerald Martineau/THE WASHINGTON POST - Four years ago, Michelle Rhee and Adrian Fenty announced that they would close up to two dozen schools. The plan was met with opposition by parents, students and community members. Here, parents and students of Stevens Elementary School protest the closings. Michael White, a 5-year-old kindergartner, holds a megaphone.

By Jonathan O'Connell,
Nov 19, 2012 12:08 AM EST
The Washington PostSunday, November 18, 7:08 PM

It prompted hours of D.C. Council testimony, public shouting matches at neighborhood meetings and street demonstrations where protesters called on the mayor to be jailed.

Then-Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and his schools chancellor, Michelle Rhee, closed 23 schools four years ago. Once the schools were closed and the students relocated, the mayor transferred a dozen or more of the buildings to his deputy mayor for planning and economic development, Neil O. Albert, to see what the market value for the properties were.

Fenty was heavily criticized for his efforts to redevelop schools he and Rhee had closed. With Mayor Vincent C. Gray's schools chancellor, Kaya Henderson, proposing to close 20 schools last week, memories of Fenty's school redevelopment plans have been rekindled even though Henderson has proposed retaining most of the current buildings. What did Fenty achieve for his troubles? What became of those buildings?

Of 11 former school buildings that Fenty offered to the real estate market in December of 2008, none have been fully developed for commercial uses. This is in large part because of the economy; Fenty and Albert issued solicitations for the schools just three months after the collapse of Lehman Bros., when many real estate developers were scrambling for cash and not in a position to take on new projects.

Now, some of them are getting close. In August, three organizations began construction on a project that will turn the former M.M. Washington Career High School, at 27 O St. NW, into 82 subsidized apartments and 15,000 square feet of community space.

Two valuable properties that Fenty made available — the former Hine Jr. High School on Capitol Hill and the former Stevens Elementary School in the West End — are on their way to development as well. Hine is set to become a mixed-use project led by District developers EastBanc and Stanton, while District-based Akridge and Ivymount School plan to turn Stevens into an office building and special education center.

Many remain tied to education

Three of the schools Fenty proposed developing will assume new educational uses. Bertie Backus Middle School, at 5171 S. Dakota Ave. NE, is used by the University of the District of Columbia's community college. Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy Public Charter School took over the former Slowe Elementary School, while Washington Latin Public Charter School plans to open in the former Randolph School.

Of the remaining five schools Fenty proposed for redevelopment, three remain vacant (Langston, Randall Highlands and Young) according to the office of the deputy mayor for planning and economic development.

The former John Fox Slater elementary school has been used for a child care facility while the former Grimke School, on Vermont Avenue Northwest just south of U Street, contains some District and cultural offices currently but is viewed as a future development site.

Two other schools not included in Fenty's original solicitation, Bruce Monroe on Georgia Avenue and Gage-Eckington in LeDroit Park, were torn down and turned into parks.

Henderson reiterated before the D.C. Council last week that she would like to retain most of the 19 buildings currently occupied by the schools she plans to close, with a final decision on the closures expected in January.

By law, charter schools have the right of first refusal for buildings the city decides that it does not need. But some buildings may be required for swing space as other schools are renovated, while others may be needed as the city grows.

Council member Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) said with so many apartments being built in her ward, some of the buildings may be needed in the near future. "We want to have schools in the community to accommodate them," she said.
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