In Michigan, Bloomfield Hills School District’s superintendent, Rob Glass, has written a letter and posted it on his District’s website. In all my years on the education front, I have never seen such a direct and urgent letter from a superintendent. Everyone needs to read this, because what he’s talking about has happened, and probably will happen, in Delaware.
An urgent call to action from Superintendent Rob Glass
Posted: November 28, 2012
Dear Parents and Citizens: This is an urgent call to action affecting your Bloomfield Hills Schools and public education in Michigan. A package of bills designed to corporatize and dismantle public education is being hastily pushed through this current ‘lame duck’ legislative session. If we do not take immediate action, I believe great damage will be done to public education, including our school system. We have just three weeks to take action before it’s too late. The bills are:
- House Bill 6004 and Senate Bill 1358- Would expand a separate and statewide school district (the EAA) overseen by a governor-appointed chancellor and functioning outside the authority of the State Board of Education or state school superintendent. These schools are exempt from the same laws and quality measures of community-governed public schools. The EAA can seize unused school buildings (built and financed by local taxpayers) and force sale or lease to charter, non-public or EAA schools.
- House Bill 5923- Creates several new forms of charter and online schools with no limit on the number. Bundled with HB 6004/SB1358, many of these schools could be created by the EAA. Public schools are not allowed to create these new schools unless they charter them. Selective enrollment/dis-enrollment policies will likely lead to greater segregation in our public schools. This bill creates new schools without changing the overall funding available, further diluting resources for community-governed public schools.
- Senate Bill 620- Known as the ‘Parent Trigger’ bill, this would allow the lowest achieving 5% of schools to be converted to a charter school while allowing parents or teachers to petition for the desired reform model. This bill will not directly affect our district, but disenfranchises voters, ends their local control, and unconstitutionally hands taxpayer-owned property over to for-profit companies. Characterized as parent-empowerment, this bill does little to develop deep, community-wide parent engagement and organization.
I’ve never considered myself a conspiracy theorist—until now. This package of bills is the latest in a yearlong barrage of ideologically-driven bills designed to weaken and defund locally-controlled public education, handing scarce taxpayer dollars over to for-profit entities operating under a different set of rules. I believe this is fundamentally wrong. State School Superintendent Mike Flanagan and State Board of Education President John Austin and others have also expressed various concerns, as has the Detroit Free Press. http://www.mlive.com/opinion/grandrapids/index.ssf/2012/11/john_austin_new_school_choice.html http://www.freep.com/article/20121120/OPINION01/121120056 We embrace change, innovation and personalization.We’re passionate about providing choices and options for students. We compete strongly in the educational marketplace. We must never stop improving. This is not a laissez faire plea to defend the status quo. This is about making sure this tidal wave of untested legislation does not sweep away the valued programs our local community has proudly built into its cherished school system. If you are concerned about these bills, please do the following:
- Attend one of the following grassroots legislative meetings. http://www.bloomfield.org/news/item/index.aspx?pageaction=ViewSinglePublic&LinkID=201&ModuleID=113&NEWSPID=1
- Stay informed by registering for updates through ‘Capwiz.’ http://www.tricountyalliance.org/
- Call and e-mail your legislator and respectfully ask them to OPPOSE these bills (see contact information below).
- Enlist ten others to do the same, and please remain active.
Public education in Michigan can and must remain strong, but it will only happen if we act NOW.
Sincerely, Rob Glass Superintendent
That’s quite a letter. What do we know about the Bloomfield Hills School District? I’ll let a guy from Michigan tell you.
As in, one of the wealthiest and most Republican areas in Michigan.
As in, Mitt Romney’s home town, also the home town of Cranbrook.
Believe me, Rob Glass is NOT known for panicking or over-hyping issues, and I guarantee you that he’s gonna catch a lot of flack for speaking out so strongly on a political issue–especially speaking out against a series of bills being pushed–HARD–by Republican Governor Rick Snyder and the Republican-held state legislature.
So all those happily chugging along schools and school districts in Delaware should pay attention. This is going to hit your school district eventually.
Now let’s take a look at those bills:
House Bill 6004 and Senate Bill 1358- Would expand a separate and statewide school district (the EAA) overseen by a governor-appointed chancellor and functioning outside the authority of the State Board of Education or state school superintendent. These schools are exempt from the same laws and quality measures of community-governed public schools. The EAA can seize unused school buildings (built and financed by local taxpayers) and force sale or lease to charter, non-public or EAA schools.
This one breaks down into three parts.
1. Would expand a separate and statewide school district (the EAA) overseen by a governor-appointed chancellor and functioning outside the authority of the State Board of Education or state school superintendent.
Talk about no accountability and no local control. This new (separate and statewide) district would be run and overseen by the governor’s office, not answerable to the State Board of Education or state school superintendent – and apparently not answerable to citizens. So, step one is to create a separate school district without any local control.
2. These schools are exempt from the same laws and quality measures of community-governed public schools.
Without reading any further we can see that we are talking about Charter Schools. In Delaware, Charters aren’t held to the same laws as public schools. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m through referring to Charter Schools as Public Schools, because, other than receiving tax payer funds, they don’t play by the same rules.
3. The EAA can seize unused school buildings (built and financed by local taxpayers) and force sale or lease to charter, non-public or EAA schools.
So this new school district, who answers to no one, can seize unused schools, that taxpayers built and financed, for their use. Nonsense, you say. Well… what if I told you that this law was already on the books in Delaware (Title 14, 504A, #6):
provided, that a school district must make unused buildings or space (defined as space no longer needed, permanently or temporarily, for non-charter school purposes) buildings or space in buildings available to a charter school, and shall bargain in good faith over the cost of rent, services and maintenance related to such space;
Notice the word “must.” Years ago, Red Clay and Prestige Academy attempted to take over “unused” space at Warner Elementary by citing this very law. And they would have succeeded if the community hadn’t organized and stopped it, mainly by relying on a technicality – lack of adequate parking. But I have no doubt that if the parking space existed Prestige would be operating out of Warner, no matter what the community wanted.
Now let’s look at what the second bill does:
House Bill 5923- Creates several new forms of charter and online schools with no limit on the number. Bundled with HB 6004/SB1358, many of these schools could be created by the EAA. Public schools are not allowed to create these new schools unless they charter them. Selective enrollment/dis-enrollment policies will likely lead to greater segregation in our public schools. This bill creates new schools without changing the overall funding available, further diluting resources for community-governed public schools.
We’ll break this bill into two parts:
1. Creates several new forms of charter and online schools with no limit on the number. Bundled with HB 6004/SB1358, many of these schools could be created by the EAA. Public schools are not allowed to create these new schools unless they charter them.
I can’t figure out the new excitement over online schools. Are they targeting home schooling population? Are they being designed for problem students? Or, more likely, are they a way to suck up all those delicious tax payer dollars while not having to provide a physical location and a full teaching/administrative staff. (Oh, I’m sure they’ll have a big administrative staff, receiving a big administrative salary.)
Notice, also, how public schools aren’t allowed to create new schools unless they’re charter schools. No more Magnet Schools. No more control.
2. Selective enrollment/dis-enrollment policies will likely lead to greater segregation in our public schools. This bill creates new schools without changing the overall funding available, further diluting resources for community-governed public schools.
“Selective enrollment/dis-enrollment policies will likely lead to greater segregation in our public schools.” Ya think? Isn’t this the point? In Delaware, we are already living this. Charters (as well as Choice and the Neighborhood Schools Act) lead to re-segregation.
Re-segregation is a feature, not a bug. And Charters are pretty adept at manipulating their populations, and then feigning outrage if you dare to point it out. Newark Charter School operates for years without a cafeteria and a free and reduced lunch program and then acts surprised when their low income population is 15.8% and Special Ed is 5.9%. The Charter School of Wilmington requires an admission’s test and has a low income population of 2.6% and a Special Ed population of 0.2%. Odyssey Charter (which has been in the news lately. They are expanding (K-12) and the surrounding community isn’t happy with the proposed size of the new school, but, given the land use laws that apply to schools, the community may not have a voice.) is a Greek Language Charter School (Greek Language? Unless you’re Greek, who is this school for? Who are they courting, or not courting?) with a low income population of 13.2% and a Special Ed population of 3.6%.
Even Kuumba Academy’s numbers – which charter supporters love to toss out as an example of a high performing minority charter school – are heading in an interesting direction. In 2010-2011, Kuumba’s low income population was 75.9%. Last year it was 48.8%. That’s quite a drop. What about Kuumba’s Special Ed population? Well, in 2010-2011 it was 5.9%. 2011-2012 it dropped to 2.7%. Re-segregation exists beyond race.
Altho… I really want to know how many Kuumba graduates end up at The Charter School of Wilmington, or even in high school AP courses. Because wouldn’t they be there in disproportionate numbers given Kuumba’s reported, and much touted, success? And if they aren’t at CSW (or in AP) what does that tell us about Kuumba’s success? Is it real? Or is Kuumba only managing to clear the standardized test bar (the lowest educational bar out there) which makes it better than low performing public schools, but not good enough to get into high performing charters or AP classes? Not sure how to find out, but I’m really curious.
I could go on about this nonsense all day, but this post is getting too long – and I’ve probably lost most of you!
Let’s return to the final Michigan bill:
Senate Bill 620- Known as the ‘Parent Trigger’ bill, this would allow the lowest achieving 5% of schools to be converted to a charter school while allowing parents or teachers to petition for the desired reform model. This bill will not directly affect our district, but disenfranchises voters, ends their local control, and unconstitutionally hands taxpayer-owned property over to for-profit companies. Characterized as parent-empowerment, this bill does little to develop deep, community-wide parent engagement and organization.
Now, if Charters had a proven model and good track record maybe I could see the point, but they don’t. CREDO at Stanford University:
While the report recognized a robust national demand for more charter schools from parents and local communities, it found that 17 percent of charter schools reported academic gains that were significantly better than traditional public schools, while 37 percent of charter schools showed gains that were worse than their traditional public school counterparts, with 46 percent of charter schools demonstrating no significant difference.
Everybody got that? 17% of charter schools performing significantly better that traditional public schools is nothing to brag about – unless you were one of the lucky ones who got your child in one of those schools. And that number sounds about right when we look at Delaware charter schools.
You should also be aware that this Michigan law concerning “Parent Triggers” and converting public schools to charter schools exists, in a somewhat similar form, in Delaware. (Section 507, a)
(a) A public school may only be converted to a charter school by approval of the board of the school district in which it is located and that the charter application received the approval of over 50% of the teachers and over 50% of the parents residing in the attendance area of the school with a child or children under the age of 18 years, who, after 30 days prior written notice to all teachers and parents eligible to vote, attend a public meeting held for the specific purpose of voting on the proposed conversion; provided, however, that such approval shall not be required where a district school board converts a choice school or program with a specific career or academic subject matter focus already approved as of the effective date of this chapter to a charter school with the same focus. The employees of a school converted to a charter school who are not employed by the charter school shall be accorded the rights available to them under the provisions of their collective bargaining agreement and shall, to the extent permissible under their collective bargaining agreement, be given preference in filling positions in the school district.
Let’s break this down:
1. A public school may only be converted to a charter school by approval of the board of the school district in which it is located and that the charter application received the approval of over 50% of the teachers and over 50% of the parents residing in the attendance area of the school with a child or children under the age of 18 years, who, after 30 days prior written notice to all teachers and parents eligible to vote, attend a public meeting held for the specific purpose of voting on the proposed conversion;
There’s your “parent trigger” but it also requires a “teacher trigger” so… that’s good? Hold on a minute! What is this?
provided, however, that such approval shall not be required where a district school board converts a choice school or program with a specific career or academic subject matter focus already approved as of the effective date of this chapter to a charter school with the same focus.
Am I reading this correctly? Is this a “School Board Trigger” that can function without parent or teacher consent? Does this “specific career or academic subject matter focus” mean that Cab Calloway and Conrad Schools of Science (both RCCD magnet schools with specific interest) could be converted to charter schools should the RCCD board choose to do so? Sure sounds that way.
There is a war on public schools and teacher’s unions – which has nothing to do with actually educating children. And like most wars it clearly identifies the enemy (public schools and teacher unions) and arms its supporters with propaganda. Go read the CREDO report and then give a round of applause to the leaders of the Charter School Movement for the effective selling of snake oil. Because pretending all charters are created equal and are awesome is an amazing feat. Altho… not all charter parents buy into this. The ones in those 17% of successful charters – like the Charter School of Wilmington and Newark Charter – have a vested interest in keeping those at Pencader, Moyer and even Kuumba drinking the snake oil. After all, if they keep those parents convinced that all charters are created equal they can continue living in their perfectly segregated educational world – a world that doesn’t come close to resembling most charter schools, yet alone public schools. A world where educational success is based on who you let in your charter school and not on what you’re doing in the classroom.
UPDATE: Mike O., The Seventh Type, has a post up entitled “Two Secret Meetings” dealing with these very issues in Delaware. Go read it.
Two different groups of movers and shakers have been meeting in secret for months now to make major changes in Delaware’s public education landscape. The lever they will pull to move and shake the landscape will be charter schools. This spring we will likely get our first chance for public comment, but by then it will be too late to reverse the changes or even to make more than trivial revisions.
If charter schools are public schools, why is all the planning and decision-making private?
That’s a good question. My answer: Charter Schools are NOT Public Schools.
Let’s be clear about the magnitude of CEB. The plan is to provide 2000-2200 student seats with four or more charter schools in the building. This is a number that will overturn the capacity planning chessboard all over New Castle County. Existing schools will likely shrink, be repurposed, and will close. What representative body agreed to this?
After CEB selects its tenants, they will still have to go through the normal charter school application process (or modification, in the case of existing charters) with the State Board of Education. That is the first formal opportunity for public input. But by the time the application is presented, the charter law virtually guarantees it will be approved as long as the application follows the rules. Without ever asking if Wilmington even wants a 2200-seat school with a so-far unknown grade levels, and with admission policies to-be-determined.
Despite the big red bow, without local control this building is not for you, your children, or your school system.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Mike also points out that the second meeting “is composed of people you’ve heard of or might have voted for, selected by the governor’s office. It does look like there was some intent to include charter stakeholders as well as traditional public school stakeholders. Unfortunately there is no representation from Red Clay and Christina, whose schools are likely to be highly impacted by the 2200 new seats. And there is only one parent representative (via the Delaware PTA), which leaves parent viewpoints underrepresented, especially city parents.”
How could this committee not have representatives from Red Clay and Christina? It almost seems deliberate. I’ve been saying for quite some time that the plan was to turn the city of Wilmington into an all Charter District, and I still believe that – mainly because suburban communities have been looking for a way to dump city kids for years.
But this seems bigger than the city, and suburban residents should pay attention – and be careful what they wish for. The 2,200 seat city mega-charter strikes me as the test case which will expand outward. Charters are poised to take over and the only thing that will change is the end of teacher’s unions. Education won’t improve – See CREDO report. Oh, they’ll have to keep a couple of public schools to dump “undesirable” students – because Charters can’t succeed if they have to educate everyone – but those public schools will be few and far between.
Mike O. agrees. He closes with:
And northern Delaware is in fact on the cusp of a dramatic charter expansion not approved by any voters.
[…]
The underlying risk is that a greatly expanded charter presence would harm traditional public schools, at worst turning them into second-class dumping grounds and forcing Districts to close or repurpose schools. Suburban parents who are used to tuning out Wilmington issues should take note: the new mega-charters will have an impact on suburban schools.
Go read it, and if you still think this won’t impact you… think again.