Wilmington City Council vs. Newark Charter School
Anyone else get the feeling that education in Delaware is about to explode?
Personally, I’d like to slow the entire Charter (and Choice) train down. I can’t keep up, and can’t shake the feeling that these Charters and our legislators are privy to information that the rest of read only after the deal is done. Basically, I’m not supposed to keep up or catch up.
Meanwhile, things are moving forward in City government:
#3640
Sponsor: Council Member WalshWilmington, Delaware
March 1, 2012WHEREAS, there is no public high school in the City of Wilmington
that is affiliated with the Christina School District and, as a result, all
Wilmington public school students who are City residents must leave the
City in order to attend public high school; andWHEREAS, the Newark Charter High School, which is a part of the
Christina School District, has plans for expansion into an additional
building; andWHEREAS, there exists a five-mile radius around the Newark Charter
High School for the purposes of students applying to attend that school; andWHEREAS, students from the City of Wilmington cannot even be
considered for admission to the Newark Charter High School because of the
said five-mile radius limitation; andWHEREAS, the poverty rate and minority enrollment for the Newark
Charter High School are vastly lower than those of the public schools that
do serve students from the City of Wilmington, which creates racial and
economic segregation; andWHEREAS, the proposed Newark Charter High School will not have a
cafeteria and therefore will not serve free and reduced-price meals, further
alienating low-income students who rely on federal food programs.NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF WILMINGTON, that the City Council requests that the Delaware
Department of Education deny the use of public funds for the expansion of
the Newark Charter School and institute corrective action in order to
provide both racial and economic diversity to a school using public funds.Passed by City Council,
March 1, 2012ATTEST: _________________________
City ClerkApproved as to form this ______
day of February, 2012_______________________________
City Solicitor
And City Council aren’t the only ones pointing these poverty discrepancies out. Hop on over to Don’t Destroy Christina blog and read the emails she posted. I’m only posting the first in the name of fair use.
From: Shipley Glenn (LegHall) on behalf of Sokola David (LegHall)
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2012 2:05 PM
To: Kowalko John (LegHall); Schooley Terry (LegHall); Peterson Karen (LegHall); Osienski Edward(LegHall); Hall-Long Bethany (LegHall)
Cc: Sokola David (LegHall); Shipley Glenn (LegHall)
Subject: RE: Proposed Newark Charter High SchoolGood afternoon: We were all copied on the below email and attached letter from Mrs. Lois Hoffman, who has expressed her sincere concerns about the proposed Newark Charter High School.Years ago, when I served on the Newark Charter Board, I always held the belief that the student population accurately reflected the area demographics rather well. To make sure that I had the latest factual information available, I asked Greg Meece to respond to Mrs. Hoffman’s letter. For your records and information, I am attaching a copy of his response to this email. I have just shared Greg’s response with Mrs. Hoffman, and I am hopeful that the information will help to alleviate some of her concerns and provide her with additional background on this matter. I think it is very important that we not discourage a successful and committed program, such as Newark Charter, and wanted to take this opportunity to share my thoughts and sentiments with you.
Thanks,
Dave Sokola
Let’s stop here for a moment and discuss several points.
First, why would Senator Sokola go to the head of the Newark Charter School for info readily available on line? After all, I produced all the Red Clay numbers easily enough.
Second, it’s obvious that Senator Sokola is a supporter, and former board member, of Newark Charter School, which is fine, but… asking Mr. Meece, head of Newark Charter School, to provide evidence on whether Mrs. Hoffman’s concerns are valid is… well… hardly reliable. Unless, anyone thinks Mr. Meece would say that Mrs. Hoffman is correct and NCS’s poverty rate doesn’t reflect the surrounding community. Um… I’m not seeing that happen.
Don’t Destroy Christina posts Mr. Meece’s response (which is a doozy), and then quickly points out that Mr. Meece used the “Newark city limit” population numbers to frame his school population numbers to the best advantage. Huh, we’re back to numbers that don’t agree again?
All education roads keep leading to numbers – And everyone has a different set of numbers. We really need to slow this down and get everyone on the same page.
Yeah, this issue is about to blow. You might want to duck.
EDIT: If you are interested in seeing the discussion of this issue at City Council last night, here it is. This is approx. 8 minutes long:
Tags: Charter Schools, City of Wilmington, Dave Sokola, Greg Meece, Newark Charter School, Wilmington City Council
I wish that it *would* blow up — if anything to push people out of their current ineffective pathways. It is unbelievable to me that anyone would be thinking of building a high school here while Wilmington has none.
And why is Dave Sokola advocating for NCS?
“I think it is very important that we not discourage a successful and committed program, such as Newark Charter, and wanted to take this opportunity to share my thoughts and sentiments with you.”
This deal is done.
Pandora,
Thx for this post. I have 2 observations.
1) NCS is NOT apart of the Christina School District. In. Any. Way. This is a factual misstatement by the Wilmington City Council resolution. They are a public charter school, chartered by the satte board of education that has its physical plant inside the CSD boundaries.
2) Meece’s response over on Don’t Destroy Christina is a worthwhile read.
2) Meece’s response over on Don’t Destroy Christina is a worthwhile read.
In what way? Seriously, what do you think of it?
Apparently the only people who think charters are fair are charter parents and operators – go figure.
The issue is not NCS – the issue is the charter law itself. Therefore Senator Sokola is the right person to be involved, although I think we need to spend some more time talking with him.
There’s just too damn many charters in the pipeline. We are headed toward a school system dominated by charters, with no vote ever taken on whether that is a good idea or not.
Mr. Meece reiterated the point that charter schools are public schools:
If these are public schools, why is the process for selecting the schools not a public process? What public process decided we needed 4 charter schools in Wilmington, or a bigger NCS?
If NCS is a public school, shouldn’t the public have the opportunity to vote on whether the public interest is better served by expanding NCS, or upgrading Newark HS?
This is why charters are not and never can be public schools, even if they take public money: There are simply too many decisions being made privately.
Exactly, Mike. Charters tend to call themselves “public” schools when it suits them.
How do you slow this down? Can we?
Pandora,
I think it is an extremely selective data set woven into a narrative designed to prove that they are in compliance with the law and that they are legally justified in how they were formed and operate.
On that point he’s 100% accurate. However, legal does not always mean right.
The law that empowers charters in the state was made in 1995. Since then the legal landscape has changed, the deseg order vacated, and Neighborhood schools created…yet Brown v. Board (1954) remains the law of the land (except in New Castle County it seems)
In those 10 years our schools have been re-segregated and the charter law remains largely intact as originally formed.
It is no longer good code (if it ever was) and needs a modern update to confront the realities of the environment it actually exists: one full of segregated schools and growing abject poverty…perhaps if it had been addressed in 2000-2002 as Neighborhood schools were being birthed we may have avoided the former.
That said, I think a “reasonable person” would conclude that DE needs a “time out” on charter creation and expansion and the law needs to be reinvented.
Choice is important, and I think a right all parents should have, but Delaware schools funded by public dollars must work for ALL Delaware students. Creating “islands of innovation” as a way to subvert the spirit of a vacated court order or a Neighborhood schools plan or the law of the land just doesn’t seem right, not with public dollars. Choice has to work for the students on the inside and the outside when public dollars are the fuel.
I applaud the Wilmington City Council and I think everyone should read Mr. Meece’s response to Sen. Sokola as it is a worthwhile document to see what motivates Delaware’s next superintendent.
The Charter intent has lost it’s way, and parents know where to find ’em.
“Delaware’s next superintendent”?
The best but least likely option would be to reform the charter school law. A requirement that charter schools admit more special ed or other disadvantaged students and develop their own programs for them would cool our corporations’ enthusiasm for charters (and some parents, too).
Failing that, a test case against the charter law. Maybe on grounds of deseg.
Or on Constitutional grounds, on behalf of the students left behind by charters who are not being equitably educated as per the State Constitution.
Good Lord, my departed father worked on the reform laws in the 1970s that guaranteed an equitable education and mainstreaming to special ed kids on those exact constitutional grounds. Some things never change.
Yes, when NCS High School is in effect,Mr. Meece will become Superintendent of the NCS K-12 system:
http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/schools/charterschools/files/NCSAPP2012.pdf
page 10.
I thank our collective lucky stars that the strongest political blog in Delaware has a very strong education advocate and pervasive writer in Pandora.
Pandora Rules!
Thanks, Nancy!
I don’t know if this issue is going to explode, but my head is about to explode!
If Kilroy’s rumor that Keeley will run for Marshall’s Senate seat is true, then I’m just gonna pay the $800 filing fee and run for her House seat on a strict education platform. Eff it. I’m done with this foolishness. Sokola’s response is an absolute insult. People have called him an education trailblazer for 20 years, but the only trails he’s blazed are for “entitled” suburban folk.
@Pandora & Mike,
Charter schools ARE public schools and the process is public. That is why this discussion is happening. Charter schools have boards that consist of parents, teachers and community members with a vested interest in that school’s success. Unfortunately, your bias blinds you from the facts.
I have yet to see or hear a reasonable explanation of why charters are not fair. What makes the school unfair? Your personal definition of what they must do. What about my opinion of fairness? I think it is unfair for citizens to continually be forced to pay for and send their children to schools that are substandard. The districts have had their monopoly on public education and failed miserably. More options should be available to parents and that is what charters provide. Notice I said districts, not schools. Individual schools and teachers do very well. The districts, however, are failing the children of Delaware. They have had decades and enormous amounts of money to improve things and have failed. That is unfair!
Who defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. Apparently, the sanity of Pandora and Mike O must be called into question
Go Mike!
I really have appreciated the discussion in this, and earlier related, thread.
I had mistakenly thought that NCS was a charter school within Christina School District (CSD).
I am pleased that the NCS proposal includes a cafeteria for its high school. That is a good step.
I completely understand the Wilmington City Council’s stand. I feel that the culprit is the charter school laws. The laws permit the state to charter schools which serve to segregate our states’ students. When you have a district such as CSD that includes students bussed to/from Wilmington, a charter school within that district (with the charter-school-law-directed 5-mile radius preference) institutionalizes this anti-diversity.
Let’s give the bill writers the benefit of the doubt, and say that they didn’t realize this consequence, of resegregizing our schools (especially when the charter school sponsored by the state rather than the district). At least let’s find a solution to this serious problem, before proceeding to double up on it.
One of the signers of the petition against the NCS application noted that, while the school’s preference for family members of alumni, this serves to make the school community smaller and smaller, less-public actually. I agree with their point.
I had understood that one of the founding principles of the charter school movement was to try out techniques that, for the ones that prove beneficial, can be introduced to the state-wide schools. Where is this occurring in Delaware? What approaches has NCS introduced which are applicable to the state, or at least to CSD–approaches that have been adopted are in the process?
Having no cafeterias? Nope. (But again, I am pleased that the newly proposed building will have them–I guess that the third time is the charm.)
Limiting enrollment to a small number of families? Nope.
A quick skim of their application describes how they are going to expand their isolated environment, not how they are going to serve the community beyond their walls, such as the state-wide education system, for they are requesting state-wide education dollars.
having a cafeteria and using it to serve meals (including to disadvantaged no matter ho few) are TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT THINGS…..
Just sayin’
I totally agree with PJ. I fail to understand what makes this school unfair. Yes, it’s a public school, but they receive $3000 less per student than schools in Christina School District (CSD), is that fair? On the 5 mile radius thing – how that prevents children from outside the radius from attending; I have an 8th grader, and I’m in the CSD district, and there are two High schools within Wilmington that I’d love for him to get into; Wilmington Charter or Delaware Military Academy, even Pencader High in New Castle is good selection. These are all charter, publicly funded schools, but I don’t see people up in arms in Newark about not having fair access to these schools. These schools have rules to their admissions; the ones in Wilmington that are a part of Red Clay district have to take students local them before they can consider people outside of the area, so does that make them unfair as well?
I know people who have MOVED from one part of Newark to another just so their feeder pattern would be different, so their child could attend the CSD elementary school they wanted them to go to. I understand for most people right now, its not feasible to pick up and move into the 5 file radius to get a better chance at getting into Newark Charter School (NCS), but I don’t see how its NCS’s fault. It’s not feasible for me to move into the Red Clay district to better my chances for a school there either, but I don’t blame those schools for it.
I look at the high school situation for people within the CSD footprint the same way I look at going to college. I look at the choices I can make, I evaluate them based on the information available to me, I apply to all those that I’m remotely interested in, and I choose one (out of hopefully a couple) that have accepted me. As for my son, of the three schools I already mentioned don’t pan out, his fourth pick was to go to the VoTech High School district before choosing a CSD High School. Was there this kind of uproar when St. Georges VoTech High was built? Was there an impact study? I honestly don’t know, but I’m sure it would have made headlines like this is now.
Now, that being said, NCS is currently comprised of two schools. I know you can find pockets of staff and administration and schools within CSD that work as hard as those at NCS. I site from personal experience the Wings for Learning preschool program and many people at Thurgood Marshall Elementary. (Are children from Wilmington being treated unfairly because they live outside the area these schools service?) But why can’t CSD learn from what works within their own district, and what works at NCS and try to apply some of those ideas to their schools? Why can’t CSD partner with NCS to find out why, NCS as an organization, was the 2011 award winner of the News Journal’s Top Work Places program? I may be getting off topic a little bit, but I think we in the Newark area would benefit much more as a community, and therefore benefit our kids, by seeing these organizations working together than CSD driving them apart. If your students are performing and your staff is happy, why try to roadblock that synergy from growing?
Lastly, I’m a graduate (20+ years now) of a CSD High School. I loved my CSD Schools, even when I was bussed to Wilmington (an hour each way for stops and traffic) for middle school, and the people and teachers that contributed to it. So much so, that I originally wanted and hoped that my children would go to the same schools and get the same education and experience I received as child. But perhaps somehow CSD lost its way and now it rather spend its time bullying NCS than to act with decorum to better itself and the community it serves.
As an aside, I think CSD may have starting losing its way when Superintendent Wise left and it was discovered that under his watch, $11 million dollars went missing due to sloppy bookkeeping and misappropriated funds. I felt it. My son, as I mentioned is now in 8th grade, was in an CSD elementary school at the time this problem was discovered, and within weeks of discovering this money shortfall, his school lost a new computer room (partially funded by parents – the PTA), staff let go, and drastic cuts made that I think undermined the success of the school and its children. Don’t remember this? Here’s a reminder (below) and he did nearly the same thing at the next district he went to in Florida.
http://auditor.delaware.gov/home/pdf/CSD_Times_Union_Article.pdf
I’ll step off my soapbox now and hope the folks that are upset about NCS expansion can take a step back, look at the situation from a different point of view, and then see if they should still be all upset about it.
MM,
You have strengthened my resolve to oppose NCS expansion based on social justice and equity arguments.
Thank you for your comment!
Well said, MM!
Pbaumbach, you have incorrect information. There is no rule for allowing priority to alumni relatives. The priorities are (directly from the application form):
A. Children of Founding Members – The Board will maintain a list on file. This number cannot exceed 5% of the total seats available. Founders cannot be added to the list originally established in 2000-2001. (**Note this is chilredn of the adult founding members of the school first year only, not for relatives of the founding members or the alumni classes.**)
B. Children of employees of Newark Charter School.
C. Siblings of children already currently attending the school and that will be in attendance the next year.
D. Siblings of children conditionally accepted during this lottery.
Once the lottery begins, this preference is applied to the siblings of the newly accepted students.
E. Children residing within a 5-mile radius of the school.
I would fact check everyone. Both camps. 🙂
The 5 mile radius does one good thing, in my opinion – it prevents district wide flooding of high-resource applicants into the pool. So they won’t end up with high-resource students applying from farther away just because they are more able to attend (have the resources to provide the transportation/logistics).
So…the argument is “down with charter schools because they can’t accommodate everyone who wants to attend AFTER they have proven to be successful”. Did I get that right? What about non-charter public schools that can’t accommodate parents who would like to choice their kids into the school or the jewel district of Delaware, Appoquinimink, that won’t even allow you to choice there at all? The one thing we can all agree on is that the public school system in Delaware is broken, and it requires all parents to make choices we should not have to make. Restricting the growth in charter schools and penalizing kids by who are victims of this broken system just because they were lucky enough to get into a good charter school (like NCS) is misguided.
GAH – I read through the Meece defense and how effortlessly others have poked holes through his statistics and I am getting pissed off.
Three great letters today in the News Journal questioning the direction the state is going in regard to charter/choice/public schools as framed by the Newark Charter School expansion request.
Kudos to Councilwoman Diller for calling out Governor Markell anf for her DontDestroyChristina plug!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Markell should advise Lowery of NCS concerns
It is interesting to see what Gov. Jack Markell has had to say about charter schools as Secretary Lillian Lowery and the state school board consider the expansion of Newark Charter School’s application to become a high school. If we look at candidate Markell’s comments during Delaware’s 2008 gubernatorial election, now Gov. Markell detailed a number of my concerns that seem applicable to NCS’ application to expand.
» Re-segregation and skimming of students by charter schools
» Effect of charter schools on the broader community
» Lack of district participation in the charter approval process
» A new or unique mission is not a reason to grant a charter if local schools suffer because of the charter’s creation
I hope Gov. Markell will take the time to advise Secretary Lowery of his numerous and well-articulated concerns as expansion of NCS is debated. The video of the debate can be found on YouTube. I am grateful for the work of the “don’t destroy christina” blog for highlighting Gov. Markell’s comments.
Elisa C. Diller, Newark
Discriminatory tactics are implicit at NCS
I am opposed to the creation of a Newark Charter High School on the basis of equity. There is a 16 percent low-income demographic at NCS. The combined average low-income population of other public schools within the prescribed 5-mile radius upon which NCS draws is 50 percent. This is no mistake. Although perfectly legal, there are certain implicit discriminatory factors employed by the school. The most glaring of which is the absence of a school cafeteria. This practice not only denies services to those in need, it sends a message: If you are poor, we don’t want you. Low-income students are traditionally the most difficult to educate and most likely to perform poorly on standardized tests. This population would be statistically detrimental to the veil of excellence at the NCS. Would you send your child to a school that doesn’t value them?
Lois Hoffman,Newark
Charter school plan only intensifies inequities
In the interest of equity and justice, I oppose the modification to Newark Charter School before the State Board of Education. The proposal would add ninth-12th grades and enlarge the school to 2,470 students. This is “to allow students to continue their educational achievement” and because “it is what our community wants,” as indicated by NCS’ lengthy waiting list. Admission is by lottery, and eighth graders will “not have to reapply for ninth grade.” Students accepted into kindergarten could thus continue their educational experience through 12th grade – notwithstanding that 12 students are turned away for every one accepted. This is a ludicrously inequitable way to allocate a scarce public resource that, many believe, provides incomparable educational advantages. The board must address the glaring problem of inequitable access to NCS, which the proposed modification intensifies. There are valid reasons to allow continuous access to any school. But if that school is superior to others in its district, and it can serve a mere fraction of those who are entitled access, then the advantages of continuity must be weighed against the disadvantages of exclusion. Somewhere between kindergarten and 12th grade, the inequities here far outweigh the advantages. NCS should be divided into two schools, grades K-6 and 7-12. At seventh grade, all seats would be open, with lottery preference for new students. There is no social justification for providing 13 years of this coveted public good to 10 percent of those who desire, deserve and fund it. Eve Buckley, Newark
“Delaware schools funded by public dollars must work for ALL Delaware students.”
I would much prefer Delaware schools funded by public dollars work for EACH Delaware student. There’s a difference, and it always seems the anti-charter people choose the former.
In response to Nancy Willing, I happen to think the letters you cite are misguided at best. The arguement that a students education should not be continuous at a school for the duration (k-12) because it isn’t fair to the students not accepted is crazy. Making decisions to oppose NCS expansion because 12 students are denied access to every one accepted is equally crazy… NCS education is a limited resource not everyone can have some. It is like ANY college – ask UD or DSU officials how many students are turned away for each accepted. It is obsurd to believe that the proven success of NCS, resulting in massive number of applicants, should somehow be held against them. They do a great job, people want their kids there, there are only so many spots available. End of story. Easy to grasp – everyone wants the best for their kids but that is no reason to have sour grapes over not having your childs name plucked from the basket on lottery day. The decision about the NCS high school should be based solely on the students involved and directly impacted not by the students who were not lucky enough to be selected… and for the most part it was as simple as that, luck.
Support NCS and their mission to be the best and provide the most effective education possible for their students. They are the leaders the DE education scene has been in need of.
By the way – where is the uproar over Odyssey Charter schools expansion to 190,000 sq ft and k-12? what is the difference? Mum is the word there i guess….
Sheesh, Brian, I wrote a post on Odyssey yesterday.
yes you did and it got 14 comments so far, none of which actually mention the actual Odyssey plan let alone contest it based on its sapping of Red Clay resources…Back to the NCS well for one more drink – Why the uproar over the loss of funds to CSD high school to remain unnamed residing in Newark? Those funds are for the students not the school and as such, would follow them to another public school in the same geographical area (NCS). The money would be utilized (more effectively as proven by the $8k v. $11k spent per student)to educate the same kids… same money, same kids, better results. Can’t argue with that in my opinion.
“same money, same kids, better results. Can’t argue with that in my opinion.”
I like charters more than most people here, but even I know that your claims aren’t entirely accurate.
The only reason charters are cheaper per student is that they don’t pay for the buildings; they get the same amount of operating cash per student traditional schools do.
They assuredly are not the “same kids.” That’s the complaint most of these commenters are making — low-income kids are being screened out, and income is the best predictor of educational performance.
And the “better results” have been attained only in those schools, charter and otherwise (think vo-tech), that have been able to control which students they accept — in other words, cherry-pick. I think there’s value in a school like Charter of Wilmington that takes top-tier students and works them even harder. But the city kids who end up in charters run by people who don’t know what they’re doing (think Theo Gregory) are not seeing better test scores, here or in other states.
After Brian’s comment I went back and looked at all the education posts we have written on DL. Guess what? There are pages and pages of them, spanning over the years. But the people complaining about NCS being picked on didn’t bother to do their homework. And if you’d bothered to read all those posts you’d see that most of my posts are on Red Clay.
One of the biggest reasons Newark Charter School is being so widely discussed is the fact that NCS parents have flocked to the blogs. I’d bet Kilroy’s hits have sky-rocketed.
Let me just put this out there: I’m tired of people using per-pupil spending averages to make some larger “public schools spend too much money argument.” Does anyone realize these are AVERAGES? And does anyone realize that a school like NCS, perhaps, has a smaller AVERAGE because their AVERAGE child requires far fewer services than the AVERAGE child at a regular public school?
Do these people also realize that some of those AVERAGE public school children include students with exceptionally high needs, thereby increasing — sometimes dramatically — the per-pupil AVERAGE at certain schools? In the learning center in our District, we have many students who require one-on-one paras, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and a host of other related services. These services, you know, cost MONEY, thereby increasing the AVERAGE. Wow. What a concept!
Stop playing with these numbers if you don’t know what you’re talking about.
What is NCS’s special education rate? How many of their students can’t walk without assistance? How many of them have speech therapy. Answer that, then throw your silly numbers at me.
Exactly, Mike. I am continually astounded by the number of charter supporters who don’t know charter law (and I posted that link several times on Kilroy’s and told them to read it), don’t understand education finances and don’t understand how a lottery can be self-selecting.
Instead of bickering about not being fair, lets look at reality…NCS picks its students through lottery(fair) but requires parents who want their children to have a superior education but cannot afford private school, the opportunity to excel to actually apply to the school and are selected in a non-biased fashion. If they expanded this option throughout ncc and not a 5 mile radius the demographics would still be the same. Regardless of race, the schoolwould be full of kids whose parents care. This should not be a “feeder” school. Take a step back… We do not want better public ed in delaware? We dont want to require that parents be involved with their children? We want to lump our future contributing citizens with those who could bring ruin that chance? Here is an idea for lawmakers, require that christina and the other districts follow the NCS model, 1 yr performance based contracts for teachers, parent involvement through higher standards, and pride. As a parent of an NCS student, If this project is stopped, Even though I cannot afford it, i will any way possible to avoid sending my child into the broken delaware public school system.
Where, oh where, to begin…
NCS picks its students through lottery(fair)
More secrets of NCS success:
The NCS application form for 2004-2005 asks if you have an IEP and if you do, to attach it.
The form also asks for your signature to authorize access to school records to “evaluate your application.”
The IEP question is not on the current application form, but the authorization to access records is.
If it’s truly a lottery, then explain why they need access to school records and what exactly are they “evaluating?”
Regardless of race, the school would be full of kids whose parents care
You really are a sanctimonious ass. How dare you act as if you and NCS parents are the only ones who care. This BS theme of NCS parents care and are so awesome merely demonstrates your insecurity.
We want to lump our future contributing citizens with those who could bring ruin that chance?
There are not enough words to express what a vile, little man you are. And you know what’s funny? You actually believe you imparted great wisdom and insight with that poorly written, punctuationally challenged comment. Good thing you aren’t homeschooling your kids.
http://m.delawarefirst.org/7072-newark-charter/#comments
Pandora, typing on an iphone, so my apologies for the chain of thought. Your class speaks for itself by taking my opinion comment personally, and attacking through name calling. I would pick apart your posts if I actually cared. I do not think NCS parents are the “only” ones who care, so please do not spin my words. Why are you so angry? I was using this blog to vent, not impart wisdom on anyone. Quite honestly, I just hope my child will be able to continue receiving a quality education. It seems like you may have some sort of personal vendetta against NCS with all of your “investigations into application integrity”. The truth is that your child was probably and unfortunately not picked by NCS, and you are bitter. I truly feel sorry for you and your family. Don’t worry though, if it makes you feel better, keep attacking other peoples’ opinions. Your disgust for those who do not agree with you can be channeled into making a difference in those other schools in which you hold so much pride for. Have a great evening!!!
Can’t stand by your words? Got it. You get to say nasty things about other people and other people’s kids and then get all hurt when someone gives back what you dish out. Typical.
And I have no vendetta. I don’t live in Newark and never applied to NCS. A quick read of my past posts would tell you that.
And you’re the only one – got that? The only commenter – I have attacked. And you deserved it.
I stand by my words, just not your intetpretation of them. Please re-read. My nasty words were guided towards a broken system and those who would prefer to squabble about it, and interfere with the system that is working. My feelings aren’t hurt in the slightest but you can continue to think your seething retort has done so. Are your feelings hurt? I do not care to read your othet posts because the reality is…I do not like people like you. I am sure the feeling is the same, so I am going to bow out and allow you the precious last word. Yours Truly- sanctimonious ass and vile little man….who PWND u!
Bill: Your “system that is working” is called “white flight.” And you have no evidence that it’s working.
Bill: Your “system that is working” is called “white flight.” And you have no evidence that it’s working for any individual student. All you can say is that the cumulative scores for the school are good — and it’s pretty clear that they’re good because they’re keeping low-income kids out of the school.
That’s why, even though I am favorably inclined toward charter schools, Newark Charter is an exception.
Let’s also admit the “system that is working” statement is false, unless you rephrase it as “system that violates the Charter law/regulations about free/reduced lunch system is working for those families within the violating school”
Sorry for losing it, but I have had it with the dog whistles.
I am through with people saying offensive things and then pretending that wasn’t what they meant. I am tired of people painting themselves as the parents who “care” and dividing children into two groups: Future contributing citizens and future NON-contributing citizens.
Paul,
There’s another part of the “system that is working” statement that is false,and I’m referring specifically to the Charter Schools Office in the state Department of Education. Its application, monitoring and review system was trashed last year in an evaluation by a national organization that sets best practices standards for charter school authorizers.
If NCS, or any other charter school, is gaming the system — they’re getting away with it because the regulators are either not doing their job or are not enforcing the rules consistently.
We have, of course, already seen this system at work this week — a process in which NCS seems to have won approval from the state’s authorizers BEFORE the public hearing was held.
Just sayin’ — if we’re casting stones, both DOE and NCS deserve to take a hit.
We can cast stones at the legislature, as well. Let’s not leave politicians – some who openly advocate for certain public and charter schools – out of the mix.
pandora, on that topic I find it noteworthy that the NCS application includes the signature of a sitting state senator (a board member–no conflict here, right?), attesting that the school and the application abides by the law and regulation (specifically referencing the Title 14 Regulation 275 that spells out the free/reduced lunch requirement).
mediawatch–I agree with you, but have been holding off my direct criticism of the regulators until they have their say on the NCS charter expansion application.
PB,
The charter school accountability committee already recommended approval formally on Feb 21st, 2012…prior to public hearing: http://wp.me/pz20Z-4Gd
Cheers!
Geezer- you must be confusing Newark with Middletown when you are making a comment about “white flight”. Newark is actually very diverse. In fact, my child who is white, is taught by an african american teacher and is in a classroom with 40% white students, and 60% black, latino, asian, and indian. It’s appalling that people on this msg board call themselves liberal. Do the charter laws need reformed-absolutely. This has been proven through the failures and misappropriation of funds in which we have seen in the past. Lets be clear, Greg Meece is not some leader of an elistist plan who wants to weed out low income families. He wants to expand on a successful foundation and mirror the academic achievements of Wilmington Charter and his friend Ron Russo. So lets continue slamming the ones with good intentions and disregarding the schools who are failing Delaware’s youth. Fix what is broke not break what is fixed. I do agree that they should put a cafeteria in, but lets not think that they don’t want one just to keep out low income. They don’t have one to streamline expenses. Please see thelink to the article previously posted
the process the DOE setup for the applications is for the accountability committee to meet with applicants, not with the public, raise questions, and make decisions, and THEN include the public.
this is why the process needs to be examined and improved.
however, their decision is not the decision that matters. it is similar to a grand jury claiming that there is enough evidence to indict an accused. It does not indicate guilt.
the committee voting means that they reviewed the application, asked questions, and were satisfied. pass the baton forward
“I do agree that they should put a cafeteria in, but lets not think that they don’t want one just to keep out low income. They don’t have one to streamline expenses.”
I hope they’re teaching your children better reasoning skills than that.
or in this case, reviewed the application, asked no questions, pass the baton.
Fail.
There seems to be a lot of conversation on laws, districts, policies, etc, but not much about education. NCS has been around for some time now and the CSD has been the worst district for high schools over that time. CSD has had their chance for the last 10 years to try to find it’s way. As far as I know when NCS kids graduate they go to high school. Shouldn’t the test scores and schools ratings go up with all the “privileged” (i.e middle class white kids as it has been put)that have gone to CSD schools over the years? I also guess that there are no low-income families that live in Newark, because so many rich people want to move to a town that has terrible high schools. Why on earth would anyone bus their children from Wilmington to a school district that as a whole is the worst in the state for high schools? Wilmington has 4 charter schools, while Newark has none. Isn’t it time to try something else? Doesn’t having more chairs available in the lower grades (which would happen with expansion) help education? Doesn’t having a school that holds students accountable help education? Are people serious when they say CSD should just reinvest and try to upgrade education? More police officiers is not an upgrade. Why is the Wilmington City Council involved? Last time I checked the issue was in Newark, but I guess whenever people can play the race card, they will get involved. Let’s stop the policies, laws, race and have vs have nots talk and stick to the education. NCS works for the community of Newark. I doubt there is one NCS parent not happy with the school. All of the people that aren’t happy don’t have children there. The lottery is open to everyone (gardes 1-8). More seats will be opened up for the elementary and middle schools, which means more students will get in. CSD high schools are (admittedly) unable to place NCS students currently. A NCS high school would aleviate the burden of placement as well as allow for decreased class size to help improve education standards in CSD. All opposer say they aren’t against schools that work, but against a school that isn’t open to everyone. Buying concert tickets is open to everyone, but not everyone will get one. Should we penalize the people that got a ticket? That’s what opposers want to do to NCS. Well, NCS works and it is open to everyone for application. Don’t penalize Newark’s community, families and children based on bitterness, race and political agendas.
My child’s options for high school: Christiana isRanked 26 out of 26 for DE, Newark HS ranks 19 out of 26, or $10,000+ per year private school. You want to cite fairness, that is not fair. Also, Geezer, I am teaching my child fiscal responsibilty. NCS also does without sports programs along with the cafeteria and remains above budgetary plan, while CSD has an $8mm+ budget shortfall to go along with the poorest performing schools in Delaware.
JS writes “Let’s stop the policies, laws, race and have vs have nots talk and stick to the education”
great civics lesson for our kids–don’t worry about following the laws/rules when providing public education.
PB-great hypocrasy lesson to our kids. Make a handsome living off of the elite, wealth, and 1% of DE as one of the regions top wealth managers. Then stand up for ethics and fairness for the poor of DE on multiple blogs. Do you find your clients loopholes to limit tax liability? If you want change, please go forth in effort to close those loopholes that charters are taking advantage of. Worrying about public education laws and doing something about them are two different things buddy.
JS- i agree, but most people on this blog will just pull apart one sentence of your writing and spin it towards their agenda, so our effort is not worth the aggrevation. We are actually people with a vested interest in this and they are freedom fighters who sit behind a keyboard all day making themselves feel more important than they really are.
I do plan to work to improve our state’s charter laws and regulations.
In the meantime, I call on the Department of Education to enforce their rules.
My professional advice to my clients is based on following the rules.
Is your point that those whose career is to assist the wealthy must, to avoid being hypocrits, promote the breaking of rules? I don’t accept that premise.
By the way, I present eight or more free educational seminars annually through the Delaware Money School. I serve on the board of the Newark Housing Authority. I use my professional skills beyond my day job, and I feel that I do so consistently.
Paul-as a Newark citizen, I do appreciate your work, and my comment was a little too personal. I apologize. It just frustrates me when folks on here critcize statements versus theme. I do hope that you make progress with the laws and regs in Delaware because this is why everyone cannot agree. What I personally cannot get my head around, is why people feel it necessary to attack NCS. Why stifle a school (system i was previously referring to) that is succeeding and wants to grow. If you want to be mad, be mad at the lawmakers. This project however can be used as a model of standard that the other schools can hope to achieve. NCS has great pride as do all schools, and when people who do not hold interest in it are on here slamming it and turning it into either a race or elitist issue it is frustrating. Would you want your child to go to the best school for from K-8 knowing that they would in turn have to go to the worst for HS? Civics lesson aside, the parents of NCS appreciate the education level their children are recieving and would like to see that continue.
Bill, I really appreciate the tone of your most recent post. I would love to see the ‘interested parties,’ a BIG table, get together and discuss, in the tone you just used, the issues that the current NCS application has raised.
I would like to see a similar BIG table used to review what needs to be done to evaluate/improve the charter school law/regulations.
Paul-thank you. Please organize a meeting place and post it. We can invite lawmakers and folks on both sides to have an informal brainstorming session to develop a better process. There should be 3 things to address: NCS application, Laws/regs surrounding charters, and ideas to improve CSD. Not a fight, but a discussion. Lets be honest here, if CSD offered a better product, the NCS High School would be a moot point. This should be about fairness AND the overall future success of Delaware’s Education system.
given my partisan credentials, I cannot alone call such a meeting. Nor should an agenda-driven organization such as Vision 2015.
the DOE is one such organization that could call this kind of meeting. the legislators’ Kids Caucus is another. a coalition of organizations could also do so.
perhaps pandora could give a call and see what organizations would like to attend/sponsor. Depending on how this ‘conference’ is created, I expect that PDD would love to be at the table.
PB, I didn’t realize that the laws for charters state that they are made to segregate Delaware’s students as put in your statement. Not one comment about other points? Using race, income and a cafeteria (come on) is OK? Having no other options for High school is OK? How about the fabrication in your statement that the school community will be smaller despite the fact that more seats will be available (this is a fact)? Are you saying all the additional spots will go to family members? Or just middle class white kids? Last time I checked, Newark is not a community of 19 kids and counting families. NCS is a school, not a communal compound. I thought the lottery was open to everyone. How does a open lottery resegregate schools? I hope everyone realizes that when a low income or minority student gets into Charter, that means his/her low-income/minority sibling will also most likely get in. This policy doesn’t only apply for middle class white kids, it applies to everyone. To get in, you must apply. You want to blame the system, but only seek to punish one expansion. Why not shut all Charters that actually do have admission policies? You also say Charter good (beneficial) policies should be able to be implemented state wide. I agree, but Charter’s don’t dictate policy. If that was the case, there should be no need for a police presence at area high schools, because bad behavior is not tolerated. If that were the case, teachers would be under scrutiny to perform to keep their jobs, not just go through the motions and be saved by their union. If that were the case, CSD would have to show responsibility for their spending policies and not just make sure every high school has a new electronic message board and kept football fields. You must live elsewhere or have money, because in Newark, families that rely on public education have no choice. So all opposer, continue to limit the choice of Newark residents and fabricate information for your own personal gains. And these are personal gains, because there will be nothing gained from inhibiting NCS expansion. No Wilmington or Newark students will benefit from inhibiting expansion. They could only benefit from expansion. Everyone can make points for or against and anyone can make up whatever they want, claim conspiracy and oppose NCS. What I want to know (based on fact, not opinion or conjecture)is how education will not be enhanced by NCS expansion. I challenge anyone to explain how Wilmington and Newark students benefit from killing the expansion? No one wants to answer that question about the education and that was my point. Laws and policies are fine, if they apply to all, not just to pick and choose as people see fit (Wilmington good, Newark bad). Maybe if people put forth this effort to deal with the current state of public schools in general, we would be better off, instead of trying to penalize NCS and a system that works for it’s community, families and children. Even if it is for a smaller amount of lucky students (lucky being the key word since it is a lottery), isn’t it better for all to have chance at a better option than for all to have no options?
JS I spologize, I could not find what you are asking, despite (or perhaps due to) the large number of question marks.
Please provide the reference you appear to allude to, in which I state that the charter laws are made to segregate DE’s students.
I believe that years ago, the charter school laws and regulations were created in good faith by the DOE and our General Assembly, aiming to improve the overall public education system in Delaware. In the years since, we have seen ramifications, both intended and otherwise. I feel that it is well past time to stand back, review successes and failures, push the former and resist the latter.
I also feel that it is always appropriate to enforce laws & regulations, and to work to improve those with which you disagree.
On that point, if NCS and Mr. Meece felt that the school lunch requirement was unreasonable, then they should have worked to have the regulation changed, rather than disregard it. Don’t you agree?
My points on NCS have been focused on the issue of NCS failing to meet the requirements on the school lunch program. Several opponents of the NCS application have connected dots, concluding that the lack of the school lunch program has led to/caused the divergence of economic diversity between the NCS student population, and the student population at CSD schools in the same 5-mile radius (those without any busing from Wilmington). However, this is NOT my point. My point is that rules should be followed.
There is no reason for a new charter high school. The DOE should approve a new High School in Wilmington. We also need to build a new public high school to replace Newark High. We also need to upgrade at least the lighting in the middle schools. Districts 3, 5 and 6 on the Newark city council are up for election this year. If these guys vote to rezone for the charter school I will work to remove them. If any other elected official works to expand charter I will do the same for them. Look people there are more of us. The charter mommy’s club are connected to the politicians but we have the vote.
Larry, you may have the vote, but where exactly would the money come from in this already crippled economy to build not 1 but 2 public high schools in NCC. I am all for upgrading current schools, but what kind of impact will this have on test scores in CSD? Remove whomever you want all powerful one and avenger against evil charter schools. How dare these elected officials want a successful learning enviornment in their city. How dare they want to attract working parents to live inNewark by touting a strong high school product. How dare they want these working parents to support the community througj volunteerism and economic contribution. Damn those mommies and politicians, how dare they demand Newark hold itself to high standards. Larry is this such a bad thing. Should money be spent improving middle schools and NHS-yes. Wilmington has 4 charter schools already. But overall CSD has failed its children (ranked last in state) and needs more than a fresh coat of paint.
Bill sounds like your one of the lottery winners. Agreed CSD is a complete failure. No argument here. Maybe we should all take the time out of our schedule to understand the issues and inform others. We should remove the CSD school board, consolidate other districts and make sure the money is funneled into programs that work. The average cost to build a high school is around 16 million dollars. Just think if all of you charter folks worked as hard to support your community as you do to protect your little enclave maybe we could all raise the money for a new school and Wilmington could use the DOE funds for a new school.
I know all of these charter moms and they are all about themselves and their children. I’m the same way so I going to fight for the resources to go to my children. My child will either have the same education provided at charter or charter kids will have the same education as my child has. It’s call equality. I shouldn’t have to pay for your child’s private school.
What if all of us take an extra few days a week to tag at Acme to raise money for new lighting in the local middle schools. What if we ask local electricians to donate their service. What if we begin long term fundraisers to raise money for new computer labs etc. See it’s simple. If you join your community rather than focusing on what is going to make your family happy we will all benefit not just you.
The families of NCS live in Newark, own businesses in Newark, patronize businesses of Newark, and many work in Newark, so I dont follow all of your logic about the lack of community support. Also NCS is a Newark institution and it is not a private school nor hopes to be. You are correct that I do not volunteer at other schools as I do not have time, but my tax money sure as hell supports them. If you want to improve CSD I am all for it, but it needs to start with the parents of those other schools. Not all of them, as I am sure you are involved, but the bottom line is that the lack of community support has driven NCS into existence. Equality should be the goal, but limiting the growth of a successful program like NCS is not how it should be done. The logic of holding these kids back to make them even (educationally not socio-economically) with CSD is flawed. The community fixing a broke system should have nothing to do with NCS. It cant be fixed by throwing money at it, it needs to be a change in philosophy with a greater focus on education, higher teaching standards, and discipline. This is what has created a disparity between NCS and the other district schools.
Actually it starts with all of us.
It’s this lack of equity that’s destroying education – at all schools. Yes, all of them – Since those coming out of “good” public, private and charter schools aren’t equal to their international counterparts. Go ahead and look at where we’re ranked in education nationally as a country.
Until everyone is invested in every child’s education then all of us will continue to be ranked as failing or mediocre. And if we continue to define excellence by only comparing “good” schools to high poverty schools then everybody loses. And the schools that claim success in this scenario are merely comparing and competing for that title against a bar set at the lowest rung.
Pandora- I totally agree. It is an issue that I truly hope does not get thrown to the wayside this November. Economy and Education should be the driving force in this county, state, and country. Great comment.
I’m reminded of the old saying two for me one for you.
“Since those coming out of “good” public, private and charter schools aren’t equal to their international counterparts.”
Not true. The media stories are about cumulative scores, not those of individual students, many of whom would score among the world’s elite. America’s problem isn’t with educating the top students, but those at the bottom and the broad group in the middle.
Rating countries by students’ standardized test performance is ultimately no more useful than rating teachers, schools, districts and states by that method. As a tool it’s as broad and blunt as an unsharpened ax, and we keep pretending it’s a scalpel.
And I see people putting their kids into schools with a false sense of educational excellence. Smart kids tend to succeed in all non-poverty traditional public, private or charter schools, but their number hardly represents the student body.
And until colleges and universities stop using the SAT for admittance then test scores are what we have to work with. And while I agree that rating K-12 schools based on standardized testing is flawed, the schools scoring well on those tests use them to promote their superiority rather than admitting they’ve merely cleared the bar set at the lowest rung.
Sorry, PB, I errored. Some of my posts are a little wordy based on the amount of frustration that myself and other Newark residents are feeling in dealing with outside sources. You said the laws permit segregation, not are made for segregation as I said (should I have said made to allow for segregation— big difference?). As Bill responded, you are arguing terminology, not the main points and issues being made. Apparently I challenged too many points with too many questions, so I will restate a few questions for all to think about. How will the NCS school community be smaller when more spots will be open in the K-8 (i.e. more lottery spots/expansion)? Opposer don’t seem to want to acknowleged this. How does an open lottery segregate students? How will any Newark and Wilmington students benefit from no expansion, and lastly what is better, having a chance at an option or having no option at all? To me, these answers seem pretty obvious when looked at by themselves,individually w/o all the other hoopla. To others I guess not when there is a conspiracy involved.
How will the NCS school community be smaller when more spots will be open in the K-8 (i.e. more lottery spots/expansion)? Opposer don’t seem to want to acknowleged this.
I’m not sure who’s claiming this. I haven’t heard this used as an argument. Quite the opposite. What I’ve heard is that more students at NCS would drain additional resources from traditional public schools
How does an open lottery segregate students?
Again, this is not the argument. By not having a cafeteria NCS gets around offering Free and Reduced Lunch programs. This will result in those people who rely on FRL to not apply, and if you don’t apply then you aren’t part of the lottery. If you don’t own a car and are not on the bus route you will not apply. So while the lottery is open, who puts their name in the hat has already been self-selecting.
How will any Newark and Wilmington students benefit from no expansion
This brings us back to resources. Everyone seems pleased with Newark High School’s Cambridge Program. How will that be effected – or will it survive at all? – if NCS opens a high school pulling children out of that program?
what is better, having a chance at an option or having no option at all?
That would depend on if you really had a option. Need FRL? NCS isn’t an option for you. Live outside the bus route and don’t have a car to get your child to school? NCS isn’t an option for you.
And this would seem “pretty obvious” to you since the obstacles I listed aren’t obstacles to you.
Note that the ‘lottery’ is only applied AFTER the sibling preference is applied. In theory, the sibling preference can be used to fill ALL new slots.
Somewhere in the application NCS notes that 11 applicants are denied for every 12 applications.
I seem to recall that the new application calls for NO NEW SLOTS into the proposed 9th grade, no lottery, rather all slots being assigned to ‘graduated’ NCS 8th grade students.
Does anyone know how many of the seats each year are awarded by NCS to 1) returning students, 2) siblings of existing NCS students, and 3) thus how many are actually available through the ‘lottery’?
Can anyone confirm whether the sibling preference is for siblings of existing NCS students, or is for siblings of students who have ever been NCS students (legacies, to use the term from fraternities)?
My understanding is that the new school is to be built in stages. As students graduate from the middle school they will fill the the High School. Then when the next grade is needed they will just be wrapping up construction for the junior class and so on. The plan is to fill the high school with the children already in Charter effectively closing the lottery to outsiders.
Kids who are in NCS now entered via a lottery or via sibling preference — and they were enrolling in a school that had a K-8 program.
They did not participate in a lottery for their choice of high school.
Should NCS be permitted to launch a high school program, all positions should be open to all interested applicants via a lottery.
My new idea on this is that Glasgow, Christiana and Newark should be allowed to kick out the students that underperform academically or behaviorally and send them to NCS to be exposed to the transformative teaching methods used there. It will be a win for all involved.
I love that idea, LG!
Call the Newark City council. Districts 3 5 and 6 are up this year. Tell them to reject the rezoning for NCS High School. Then call your local state rep and the Governor’s office. Remember people many of the folks that work at the school are connected to the local elected officials. So if we don’t speak up they will slip it by when we’re not looking. Say No To NCS High.