What Charter schools do

Robert Arial

Why and how Charter schools are so wrong

New Jersey is learning what people in the Kansas City area should when it comes to Charter schools:

Christie's charter school nightmare: “White flight..."

"We are creating separate but equal school systems,"  --Hoboken school board president.

From the article:

While New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie deals with burgeoning scandals surrounding accusations he used the Port Authority and development deals for political ends, he now finds himself in a flap surrounding charter schools in Hoboken.

As charters in the city have exploded in number and size, “they’re fostering white flight, and they’re bankrupting us,” the city’s school board head charged in a Wednesday interview. “We are creating separate but equal school systems,” warned Hoboken Board of Education president Leon Gold. (As Salon has reported, Christie-style ed reform has also sparked controversy in Newark.)

It's what I've said all along.

Charter schools do two things. First they drain funds away from the public school system, when there's already far too little for the schools, shamefully.  And second, they do what the Hoboken school board president points out above. That is, they set up a second set of schools, virtually always for the more wealthy--read: white--students. Truly, yet another separate and unequal group of schools for the more fortunate, the wealthier population.

It's not just unequal and/or unfair, either. 

It's unjust

It's obscene.

It's grossly immoral.

It's not what any good, fair country or society should be about.

Least of all America.

Kansas Citians would do well to learn from all this.  And shut down the entire Charter school program.

Good luck with that, Missouri Senate

In the news today:

Missouri Senate approves immediate takeover of Kansas City public schools

Yes, I can totally see that working. A group of people, men, mostly, with no education backgrounds for the most part, trying to run a school district from 158 miles away, that historically can't even run itself.  Oh, yeah, I'm hopeful. (not at all).

That said, maybe, just maybe, if there's any fiscal chicanery or outright theft or illegal misuse of funds, maybe they can eliminate that.

As I said, I'm not hopeful but we've tried nearly everything else.  Perhaps this can help?

Anyway, here we go--down the rabbit hole.

KCMoSD School Board Candidate, 27 years old

There is one candidate, according to The Kansas City Star, for the Kansas City, Missouri School Board who is 27 years old and an Operations Manager for Tann Electric. He is one Adam Scheiber. While I certainly salute his eagerness to enter this field, I would have to also say that old, long-familiar warning to Mr. Scheib. That is, "be careful what you wish for." Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/14/3517760/crowded-field-running-for-kc-school.html

What the KCMSD needs

All schools and school districts--and students--need this. Some get it, too many don't: http://youtu.be/vozPGasx4CM

Bill Cosby can't come to Kansas City enough

Seriously--and I'll say it again--Bill Cosby cannot come to Kansas City enough. (Link to story at bottom). The guy is great. This is a guy who came up from meager beginnings, worked hard his entire life, was bright and creative and unique (we all are, keep in mind) and made it big. What other person has a better or more appropriate story to tell the students of the Kansas City, Missouri School District? Now if only Michael Jordan, especially, but others, too, would do more of this work. Many thanks to you, Mr. Cosby, for your tours, speeches and this good work. Kudos to you. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/24/3450316/bill-cosby-urges-urban-youths.html

The 2nd, final story from NPR on the KCMSD

Scott Simon's 2nd and final report today on NPR: Saving Kansas City Schools Means Rescuing A City This one was far more full of questions and not of pointing out as many of the School District's faults, in my opinion, compared to last week's broadcast: Link: http://www.npr.org/2012/02/25/147393076/saving-kansas-city-schools-means-rescuing-a-city

The great Brad Pitt/Kansas City news

Okay so here it is--we have to wonder no more. From The Kansas City Star: Brad Pitt’s foundation to help redevelop school in KC The long-closed Bancroft School will be renovated into a new residential development and community center with the aid of the Make It Right Foundation established by actor Brad Pitt. The $14 million project calls for the 103-year-old school at 4300 Tracy Ave. to be renovated with the existing building converted into 30 apartments with a 6,250 square-foot community center on the main floor, and a new building with 20 apartments developed on the ground. So, great news. There will, no doubt, be some local complainer (blogger?) who poo-poos it and goes all negative but it's just good news, period. Is it a solution to everything? No, of course not--certainly not. Does it help that neighborhood and so, the people nearby and so, the city? You bet it does. So thank you, Mr. Pitt, for your donation and generosity. It's very cool, it will help and we are grateful. Very grateful. Links: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/20/3440435/brad-pitt-program-to-spark-14.html; http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/local_news/brad-pitts-foundation-will-help-rebuild-kc

KCMO School District: How embarrassing

A headline and story yesterday from Scott Simon that went national and international on NPR radio: Kansas City's Failed Schools Leave Students Behind. I think I'll just roll up in a ball over here in a corner. Link: http://www.npr.org/2012/02/18/147067123/kansas-citys-failed-schools-leave-students-behind

On the KCMO School District

Word on the street is that all the school districts in the area that can, in fact, take students from the Kansas City, Missouri School District are all telling the parents or children who call---no. They won't be accepting any of the students from what I understand. They're supposed to actually live in the area/town/city they'd be trying to change to, first, and second, the schools are just too full and are told to say no, when/if anyone asks. That surely has to be a bit of a relief both to the schools who can and do say no, if they don't want or need the new students, and it must be a bit of a relief to the KCMO District. There might have been some concern about too many kids leaving at one time. There's one more factor, too, in this. The KCMSD is said to be willing to pay up to "X" amount of the student's fees and I'm sure they're obliged by law. In the meantime, the other schools the student might transfer into says it's costs are actually higher than that so what would be paid isn't high enough. (see 2nd link, below) Short conclusion? Not many transfers will happen any time soon. March, however, when the lack of accreditation hits, though? That has yet to be figured out. Links: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/15/3322254/kc-district-outlines-how-student.html; http://www.kmbc.com/education/30019921/detail.html

Mayor James: Be careful what you wish for

So now Mayor James wants in on the Kansas City Missouri School District leadership. The State of Missouri's Board of Education wants in, they say. Who knows what the answer is/answers are. Untold numbers of people have been trying to "fix" this school district for so long with so many different programs. Mayor James better know what he's asking for. Surely he does. We'll see. Somebody please come up with a solution/some solutions. One of them has to be to get and keep all the parents involved, for starters. Good luck to them and here's hoping. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/01/3296316/kc-mayor-sly-james-wants-to-take.html

I need someone to give me $6 million to walk away

From The Star, yesterday: Kansas fires Turner Gill, begins search for new football coach University is willing to pay the $6 million price to move on as it seeks respectability I guess I'd even lower myself to being a former Kansas City, Missouri School District Superintendent and take, oh, I don't know, even as low as $250,000.00 to walk away. But I'll hold out a little while, for the first one. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/27/3289732/ku-fires-turner-gill-begins-search.html

Very appropriate article in Sunday's NYT for the KCMSD

The title: How About Better Parents? A brief description: "Let's stop putting the burden of education improvements just on teachers. Parents play a huge role in classroom success." How about it? Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-about-better-parents.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212

Please, KCMSD, please...

No new, big, ugly surprises this week, please. We're begging you. Haven't you had enough? We know we surely have.

That does it--the KCMSD is toast

News from the Star today says "At least three of Kansas City Public Schools’ core cabinet members are leaving the school district. The district’s chiefs in finance, academics and curriculum are on their way out, a development that is particularly distressing to Kansas City school board members who are angry because they think that Missouri Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro, whether intentional or not, is stirring panic among top staffers." If anyone, anywhere in town thought there might be a chance at all that the State of Missouri might not take over the District after all, especially after the assistance Russ Ptacek kind of gave them with his report this week, claiming Superintendent Covington lied about not looking for a job out of town ahead of time, well, you can forget it. It's all over but the shouting. Come on, January, 2012. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/09/3257129/three-top-administrators-leaving.html

KCMSD Accreditation issues

The issue of whether the Kansas City, Missouri School District will keep or lose its accreditation is so huge, it can't be understated. At least three things seem to be true about it and should be pointed out. If the state Education office in Jefferson City thinks it is what must happen and what they must do, so be it, but they need to know--and I'm sure will keep in mind--that 1) they'll be biting off a great deal of work to chew, 2) that it will be very difficult, at least, to be able to make any improvements to the District from down in Jeff City, if it isn't impossible and 3), finally, that if parents and students then bail on this district and go to other local schools, instead, there will be a great deal more turmoil, first in this KCMO District and then in the area schools and districts that will have to take these students. Dr. Jim Henson, Superintendent out in Independence, said he wasn't even sure his schools could handle the fast influx that could possibly follow. Who's to say that lack of accreditation and "evacuation", so to speak, of the KC School District wouldn't be its "death knell"? So to the Missouri State Education Commission, I think everyone would caution them to be very careful here and do what must be done, certainly. But be aware, too, of the ramifications of any lack of accreditation. I'm sure they're aware of all this but it's absolutely worth repeating. These surely are "interesting times" in which we live. It would be nice if they were less "interesting." Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/09/16/3148021/kc-schools-in-danger-of-losing.html

The answers needed about Dr. Covington remain the same

I wrote these a couple days ago, right after Dr. Covington resigned. Here it is a couple days later and they're still relevant and we need answers to the following: 1) Why now? 2) Why all of a sudden? 3) It seems as though some event must have triggered this resignation, surely. What "event" was that? 4) Is there any truth to the rumor about this somehow being involved with a large ($86 million) contract Airick West is somehow supposedly involved in? Is Airick West "dirty" on this? (http://www.kctv5.com/story/15328292/covington-resigns-as-superintendent?clienttype=printable) 5) Was Dr. Covington in any way forced out? (The answer to this seems to be no but we aren't really sure). 6) If so, if that's the case, by whom? 7) Why in heck (I want to say hell) would the superintendent resign at the BEGINNING of the school year? That seems to suggest there was or is some big problem and/or reason for this resignation. 8) If that's the case, what is that big reason? 9) Was this due in part or in whole to some problem--the contract or something else--with Airick West? 10) If so, what was that problem and why is/was it insurmountable? For now, that's enough but the fact is, the answers to these questions alone would be long ones. I hope we find out soon. Links: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/24/3097178/covington-steps-down.html; http://videos.kansascity.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=108245961; http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/25/3097850/state-commissioner-says-kc-districts.html; http://voices.kansascity.com/entries/covington-could-have-handled-airick-west/; http://voices.kansascity.com/entries/benson-says-board-community-didnt-protect-covington/

Prediction on KCMO School District first day

Imagine you're a school district. (Bear with me). Now imagine you've closed about 1/2 of the school buildings in your district earlier in the year because you were 50 million dollars in debt and needed to. Further, imagine you have taken all the schoolchildren from those closed schools and put them in the remaining, open school buildings. Then, keep in mind you had a rough, busy Summer, trying to coordinate the school closings while also trying to figure out which teachers stay and which go while, at the same time, trying to figure out a new curriculum for the kids, and, finally, trying to make sure you at least keep the kid's scores where they are, if not higher. Okay, last thing you have to do (though this certainly wasn't really all you had to do this fateful Summer)--coordinate all the kids, all the schools and all the buses so all the right kids go to all the right, new, unfamiliar schools on the same first day--at least a few of which have school populations that have increased by a whopping 30% (from about 600 to 900+ kids, for example). Now tell me, what do YOU think is going to take place?

Challenge/suggestion for the Star

Okay, so it's decided--we're going to close 1/2 of the schools in the KCMO School District.

Now we'll get to it.

But with all the knowledge of where we've been and what we've been doing, as a city, you know what would make some terrific further reading?

The Kansas City Star's reporters should go around, behind the scenes, and talk to current and past employees of this same school district and get stories on where the millions of dollars of money the district used to have, went.

I've heard some beauties.

It won't ever happen but again, it would make for some terrific reading.

And you know what else?

It might make for some terrific lessons we could all learn, as a city and as parts of this school district.

But look at me. Suggesting we learn any lessons from all this.

What a dope.

Link to story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_closing_schools

On KCMO School District budget and the KC Star

So The Star covered Superintendent Covington's meeting yesterday and plans for the KCMO School District.

And it was pretty informative, to a point. Fortunately, they didn't really put a "spin" on it--they just covered it very matter-of-factly. Good for them.

But there's a couple of things here that needs to be further pointed out that they didn't report--some shortcomings.

First, I was just told that, if the District doesn't do this and cut these schools, the 285 teachers and the 40 to 50 million dollars in expenses these cutbacks involve, this same District would be
financially bankrupt by next year.

That's pretty big, obviously, and that just can't happen.

But it wasn't mentioned in the paper.

Further, secondly, should that happen, Jeff City would have to take over.

And no one wants that.

No one.

Third, the good news is that, supposedly there are lots of teachers who are in line for retirement so they'll be asked to do just that. From what I understand a lot of them abe bailing already.

Fourth, note the date the Superintendent gave for everyone to respond and vote. He wants this ready for a vote at the Board's next meeting--Feb. 24--ten days from now.

Wow. That's a bit of a whirlwind schedule.

But these people have done the research and tried their best to come up with a plan to address the big budget problems.

It looks as though it's going to sail through.

Finally, if anyone does come out against this, really, they'll have a huge challenge to come up with any other options. How else, exactly, do you cut 40 to 50 million dollars in expenses from the budget
without closing these approximately 20 schools and slashing employment roles?

If you're out there and have any better ideas, you'd better speak up quickly.

It seems as though Superintendent Covington is the right man, doing the right things--the things that need to happen--at just the right time.

Stay tuned.

The meetings this week should be interesting.