Educating a child
I apologize for the lack of new blog posts lately. A long-weekend away for a family wedding kept me away from the computer, so I’m just now trying to play catch up.
I usually try and blog about positive news about education reform from around the country- stories where school choice has been implemented and given families and students hope, but the news about the tragic and senseless beating of a Chicago student deeply saddened and angered me. Perhaps even more so, it frustrated me. No child should go to school in fear. No parent should worry about whether their child will survive the school day. As I read the reports and see the news- you can feel the fear of these students as they talk about tensions escalating and fights breaking out in the hallways. How can a child be expected to learn- to achieve- when they are fearful for their safety or their life?
As readers of this blog know, I have a 4 year old at home. It makes me sick with fear to think what I would do if it were my child who had to go back to this school- knowing what had happened- knowing what was happening. We have written before about the recent study by the Heritage Foundation and the Lexington Institute showing the lack of safety in the DC public schools. But it is not just limited to these urban school districts. Bullying has increased over the past decades- and plenty of students- even students in great schools- are fearful setting foot in school every day.
And that is one of the reasons we work so hard to ensure that every child- every family has a choice. We cannot expect a child to succeed- to excel- if they don’t even feel safe in the classroom. It may not always be something as extreme as what has just happened in Chicago- but that doesn’t make each individual situation any less tragic.
Monday morning education news
Hope everyone had a great weekend. While some Virginia students are already headed back to school, we’re still about a week away for most families. So as we enjoy the final days of summer, here are a couple quick headlines to start the morning.
- Philadelphia Magazine: Is This the Best School In Philadelphia?: Cynics say urban education is hopeless. With some old-fashioned ideas, North Philly’s KIPP School is proving them wrong.
- iSurf Hopkins: School choice would bring quality – and accountability
- Hartford Courant: School Year Begins Today: Amid Hopes for More Success
- NOLA.com: State: 19 seek charter schools
- WNED-AM 970 News: Hoyt Calls on Paterson to Push School Reform
- Jacksonville.com: Duval charter schools give students new outlooks
Choice in L.A. and editorial board support for school choice?
Sorry no new posts yesterday- we were in Richmond most of the day for a wonderful meeting of many of our coalition partners to update everyone on school choice efforts in Virginia. We greatly appreciate everyone taking the time to attend and participate- and a special thank you to those folks who drove several hours to attend the meeting. We did share some updates on Twitter yesterday- if you aren’t following us already, we hope you will check it out!
We do have some very exciting projects that we’ll be announcing in the coming weeks, so we hope you encourage you to stay tuned.
In other news, a few headlines from around the country on the education reform front:
The Press-Register: ACT results show the need for choice
It’s about time that Alabama and Mississippi provided educational alternatives for minorities who live in low-income urban centers.
School choice programs have taken root in Milwaukee, Washington, D.C., and other cities. In some cities, children from poor families can use publicly funded vouchers to attend private schools. Thirty-nine states have charter schools — independent public schools that have been freed from most bureaucratic regulations.
Polls show most blacks support school choice, including voucher programs. Again, this isn’t surprising, given that many black children are trapped in failing public schools.
The shame is that Alabama and Mississippi are in the minority of states that provide little or no choice for parents. Alabama doesn’t even allow charter schools. Mississippi’s charter school law, which severely restricted charters, expired in July.
Consumer choice drives competition, innovation and quality in the private sector. Parental choice would shake up the education establishment and become a powerful force for change.
Alabama and Mississippi need to unleash that force for the benefit of students who are falling by the wayside in the current system.
The Citizen-Times: Shrink achievement gap through choice in education
Waiting lists are a familiar theme for North Carolina’s public charter schools, which currently remain capped at 100 despite waiting lists reportedly in excess of 15,000 families. While all public charter schools in Buncombe County reached expected growth goals last year, the county still has only three public charters. The Obama administration’s strong endorsement of public charter schools, particularly those targeting the achievement gap, compels North Carolina to demonstrate progressive charter school policies to compete for federal funding. More importantly, the state has a moral obligation to its children, especially those from poor and working-class families.
All in all, it should come as no surprise that North Carolina parents–regardless of race or income–are increasingly concerned about their children’s education. After all, a sound educational system is the cornerstone of a sound economy. Until our state embraces true school reform, you can expect to see a continued push for more parental school choice and quality options for all children in North Carolina.
Los Angeles Times: Vote could open 250 L.A. schools to outside operators
In a startling acknowledgment that the Los Angeles school system cannot improve enough schools on its own, the city Board of Education approved a plan Tuesday that could turn over 250 campuses — including 50 new multimillion-dollar facilities — to charter groups and other outside operators.
The plan, approved on a 6-1 vote, gives Supt. Ramon C. Cortines the power to recommend the best option to run some of the worst-performing schools in the city as well as the newest campuses. Board member Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte dissented.
The vote occurred after a tense, nearly four-hour debate during which supporters characterized the resolution as a moral imperative. Foes called it illegal, illogical and improper.
The action signals a historic turning point for the Los Angeles Unified School District, which has struggled for decades to boost student achievement. District officials and others have said their ability to achieve more than incremental progress is hindered by the powerful teachers union, whose contract makes it nearly impossible to fire ineffective tenured teachers. Union leaders blame a district bureaucracy that they say fails to include teachers in “top-down reforms.”
Education as “The Way out of Poverty”
This one is definitely worth a read. Michelle D. Bernard, president and chief executive officer of the Independent Women’s Forum and Independent Women’s Voice, shares “The Way out of Poverty,” in Sunday’s edition of The Examiner.
School Choice Virginia Chairman Chris Saxman has made the point before that :
Education is the first rung on the ladder of success for any citizen. As Thomas Jefferson said, “If the children . . . are untaught, their ignorance and vices will in future life cost us much dearer, in their consequences, than it would have done, in their correction, by a good education.”
Ms. Bernard echoes this point, and emphasizes the need for an improved and reformed educational system so that edducation can be a much-needed ladder out of poverty for many kids in this country.
For years, the poor have found the way out of poverty blocked by their lack of access to an excellent education. As individuals, and as a nation, we have a moral responsibility to make sure that education can be the ladder out of poverty.
American education has long been highly stratified. The wealthy send their children to exclusive private schools. Members of the middle class purchase more expensive houses in better neighborhoods to get their children into good public schools.
The poor are left with the educational dregs: Schools where learning is minimal, violence is the norm, and survival is the main objective.
A lucky few win scholarships for their children or save enough money to enroll their children in parochial schools. Most poor students, however, have no choice butto suffer in schools that simply do not work. And many activists of all races, ethnicities, and religious backgrounds who spent years angrily — and justly — challenging the notion of a “separate but unequal” public K-12 education system have remained largely silent about this scandalous situation.
Yet early civil rights activists knew that education was the great equalizer and the key to advancement. This is precisely why one of the principal targets of desegregation was education.
Poor people around the world recognize the centrality of education to advancement. Ask a child walking barefoot for miles to get to a simple classroom in any developing nation what he or she wants, and the response will be an education. The impediments to progress in these nations are far greater than in America, but they know, like we do, that the essential first step in getting ahead is education.
Obviously, not all schools in impoverished neighborhoods fail. Many dedicated teachers do their best in trying circumstances. But they are fighting an entire system seemingly organized to prevent learning and punish achievement.
The problem is not money. Spending does not correlate with academic achievement. Indeed, many of the worst public schools spend the most. They face enormous social problems, of course, yet there are private schools in underserved communities that confront the same difficulties and do far more with less.
The problem is the system. The public school monopoly is organized for the benefit of political constituencies, not families. Administrators, politicians, and teachers unions all put themselves before students. Money is spent on bureaucracy rather than teachers. Jobs are protected irrespective of how badly teachers perform. Administrators and teachers alike dismiss parents’ concerns and resist parental involvement — other than to ratify whatever the system has decided.
Richmond gets Charter Elementary School… for now
Back in September, we told you about the ongoing battle over allowing Richmond’s first Charter Elementary School. When the City School Board had tried to approve a charter that wouldn’t allow the school the flexibility to succeed, School Choice Virginia Board member- and Richmond School Board member- Keith West stood up and re-worked the charter to allow the school more of an opportunity to succeed.
Last night the Board voted again, on a revised charter, and in a 5-0 vote, approved the charter for the establishment of the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts.
“Tonight’s vote reaffirms the School Board’s commitment to providing innovative solutions to education,” said Antione Green, the president of the Richmond Crusade for Voters and, for the past two months, a member of the Patrick Henry board.
While there is still much up in the air (for example when the new school board takes office in January, they could vote to end the contract, which we believe would be a disservice to Richmond students and families), we are very pleased that the Richmond City School Board is giving this initiative a chance. The students and families of Richmond- and all of Virginia- deserve to have options when it comes to education, and this is an important step in allowing them those options.
Choice… but only on THEIR terms
The scores are in and only one Petersburg school remains fully accredited, according to the state Department of Education.
A sad reality for families in Petersburg, and unfortunately a sad reality for too many families in Virginia. While progress is being made across the Commonwealth, it is still unacceptable to have any students trapped in schools that are failing them.
But, there is somewhat of a ray of hope. As a result of the schools continuing to not meet their goals, the school system will be forced to implement some type of choice for students, albeit a choice that is still mostly under the control of the existing school system.
Pyle said the agreement with the Petersburg schools required a major restructuring of the schools if certain objectives weren’t met. “Those objectives have not been met,” Pyle said.
As a result, the school system must put into place a contingency plan that was developed at the time of the agreement with the state. Pyle said the city’s school system will have to work with a lead turnaround partner to create a charter-like program and provide a choice for parents and students.
“Independence in the instructional program is the key,” Pyle said.
He added that the other goal of the program would be to provide the city with a model for its secondary schools. “The city already has a model at the elementary school level with Robert E. Lee Elementary School,” Pyle said.
An independently managed school program has been used with great success throughout the country, Pyle said. Petersburg will be the first school district in the state to implement such a program.
Victory said that how the plan is implemented will be at the discretion of the board.
We hope that the board will give the new program the autonomy and flexibility it needs to be successful for Petersburg students. We just wish that the government would understand the benefits of choice for all students all the time, not just when government decides they want it.
Life-changing
Yesterday we shared the inspiring story of how one man made the decision to build a program that would positively impact the lives of thousands of young men in Houston.
Today, we wanted to share with you this story of how Roynell Young’s Pro-Vision program changed one young man’s life. It is a reminder to us all that when we look at education, we cannot limit ourselves to one model or one solution. Instead we should embrace as many different options as it takes to positively impact students’ lives, and give them all a chance at success.
Oscar Pena is one of the young men who has benefitted from the Pro-Vision program.
Oscar Pena was a fighter, and for the most part still is. But these days he chooses to battle for his education and success rather than using his fists to make his way in life. His fighting hit a turning point when he chose to stick with Pro-Vision programs rather than joining a gang.
Oscar was stealing, using drugs, smoking and drinking by the age of 10. His rebellious behavior soon escalated when he began fighting other kids at school. But everything came to a head when he was about to fail the sixth grade. “I would have failed if it weren’t for Pro-Vision,” said Oscar.
Although entering the organization’s all-male middle charter school helped him pass and move on to the next grade, he was still causing trouble and picking fights with other students. Like many young inner-city kids, the sixth-grader was intrigued by the brotherhood and lifestyle a gang offered. Luckily, while the gang was showing Oscar support he hadn’t experienced before, Pro-Vision was on the other side supporting him in more important ways.
Read the rest of Oscar’s inspirational story here.
Finding meaning in their lives
All too often, we hear the argument that simply more money is what’s needed to “fix” America’s educational system. Mostly it comes from those who are already entrenched in the existing educational structure. Yet time and time again, we see the results that money is not the “fix.”
Then there are those who don’t accept the status quo. Those who understand that simply pouring more money into the existing model isn’t the answer. Those who are unwilling to believe that socio-economic status is a barrier to success. Those with innovative minds and the entrepreneurial spirit that has made America great, who are willing to roll up their sleeves, get in there and actually work to make a difference. Their personal investment into students’ lives can’t be measure in dollars and cents.
They are people like Roynell Young.
You see, Mr. Young spent nine years playing in the NFL, even making it to the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. Upon retiring, he could have gone down the path of many celebrity athletes. Instead, he decided to make a difference. Mr. Young chose to go where few knew about his football career, and that decision that would change the lives of thousands of young men for the better.
He moved to Houston where he first started an after school program. It wasn’t easy. But Mr. Young wasn’t looking for easy. The New York Times documents the work of Mr. Young in this great article, “Winning Against Hopelessness.”
Many of the young people who have entered his programs are black or Hispanic and from homes headed by single women. Young has encouraged them to find purpose and meaning through faith and community. Young became their last chance. His school, he said, became their refuge.
In many ways, it became more than a refuge. Mr. Young became a father-figure to these young ment, the program became an extended family.
“I had never seen men of such character in my life,” said one of those boys, Jartis Watts, now 32. “I had never been around men I could trust fully. They were educated. I had never seen that.”
From the after school program, Mr. Young’s project took off.
After about five years of running the Manhood Program, Young decided to create an all-boys middle school.
Rod Paige, the federal secretary of education from 2001 through 2005, was the head of the school district at the time and granted Young’s charter. He said he remembers what Young told him in their first meeting.
“Before these kids can get engaged enough to learn in math and reading and writing and stuff like that, they got to find some meaning in their lives,” Paige said in an interview at his Houston office. He paused. “Meaning in their lives.”
Mr. Young realizes the challenges he is up against every day. His programs are not a cure for the environment in which these children live. But it is giving them greater hope and a greater chance at success than they would have otherwise.
The school’s walls are thin. Young’s students return home to encounter drug deals, domestic and gang violence, and neglect. More than 90 percent of the 120 middle school students in fifth through eighth grade live at or below the poverty line.
But a study conducted by the school found that 81 percent of its students ultimately graduate from high school. Citywide, the figure is about 60 percent.
Mr. Young seems to be on to something that is working. His charter school has the flexibility and the authority to make decisions and figure out what works for these students. Rather than being bound by the current structure of the public school system, they are able to create an educational environment that works for students who sadly, in many cases, would be forgotten in the traditional educational system.
“I paint the picture of what could be if only you would invest in yourself,” Young said. “And then I explain to them that no one here makes anyone do anything. The commitment has to come from deep down within you.”
Mr. Young helps his students to see what can be. We should all work to create the kinds of educational environments so that every student has the opportunity to see what can be.
The latest on Richmond’s Charter school situation…
The Family Foundation has the latest on the ongoing situation with the Richmond City charter elementary school proposal that we had mentioned last week.
As we noted yesterday, School Choice Virginia Board member Keith West has been leading the fight from his position on the Richmond City School Board to try and get a vote on a charter that will give the Patrick Henry Initiative the flexibility and control it needs to have a chance at success.
The Family Foundation reports:
Virginia may yet get its first charter elementary school. Richmond School Board member Keith West yesterday proposed a new contract for the Patrick Henry Initiative. Although some on the board threatened to committee it to death or kill it in some other parliamentary procedure, the contract apparently got a fair hearing in the board’s legal committee yesterday — five hours worth. It will be taken up again by the committee on September 24, then by the board itself on October 6.
We here at School Choice Virginia continue to appreciate the effort that Keith has put into giving the charter school initiative a fair hearing, and hope that the School Board will give the new contract the consideration it deserves. More importantly, we hope the Board will give families and children the choices they deserve and the opportunities they need to be successful.
School Choice Virginia Board Member Keith West Discusses Charter Schools
Last week, we noted the controversy in Richmond surrounding the proposal to open a charter elementary school in Richmond City.
In Sunday’s Richmond Times Dispatch, School Choice Virginia Board member Keith West gives us more insight on the situation in his column, “Original Contract Created a Charter School in Name Only.”
To my surprise and to its credit, the School Board of Richmond voted in May to approve an application for a charter elementary school to be located in the vacant Patrick Henry school building.
I was surprised because the groups opposed to charters are powerful and waged an all-out campaign against it. Board members had to make tough decisions, knowing they would be alienating voters either way. I believe we made the right choice, because the parents of Richmond need more choices for their children’s education.
He continues:
The very point of a charter school is to end up with something different. Even in a district with the highest-performing public schools, there might be a need for charter. No school can be all things to all people.
Exactly.
Finally, Keith asks:
But there is more than one way of doing things, and without experimentation, there will be no progress. The School Board on this point needs to make a leap of faith. We must assume competence given no evidence to the contrary.
The leap is not actually that great. The teachers will all be certified and the curriculum will be state-approved. Most important, the parents will be involved. Is there any stronger accountability than concerned parents?
Accountability. Parental involvement. And a chance for success. Don’t we owe Virginia’s students that chance?
