Comments on: Lessons for Colorado from Study on Boston Charter School Success http://www.ediswatching.org/2009/01/lessons-for-colorado-from-study-on-boston-charter-school-success/ Keeping an eye on Colorado laws, policies, and other developments that affect parents’ educational choices Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:33:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Ed is Watching » The Case Against Cutting Facilities Funds for Colorado Charter Schools http://www.ediswatching.org/2009/01/lessons-for-colorado-from-study-on-boston-charter-school-success/comment-page-1/#comment-1929 Ed is Watching » The Case Against Cutting Facilities Funds for Colorado Charter Schools Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:22:43 +0000 http://www.ediswatching.org/?p=168#comment-1929 [...] here in Colorado, I know that charter school leaders see the situation as a challenge. Economic slowdown has cut state revenues, and lawmakers [...] [...] here in Colorado, I know that charter school leaders see the situation as a challenge. Economic slowdown has cut state revenues, and lawmakers [...]

]]> By: Havala http://www.ediswatching.org/2009/01/lessons-for-colorado-from-study-on-boston-charter-school-success/comment-page-1/#comment-1885 Havala Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:40:38 +0000 http://www.ediswatching.org/?p=168#comment-1885 I am a teacher at a large urban district. I have worked for private schools, public schools, and charter schools. Some ideas to consider: 1. Charter schools are often MUCH smaller than public schools. Staff have much more opportunity to collaborate to improve lessons and work together on the curriculum. The principal also has more time to observe lessons and conference with teachers to set goals. Smaller schools mean larger opportunity for parent involvement. It's easier to get a hold of 50 parents as opposed to 1500. And, the bottom line, of course, is that a MUCH better class is going to occur in a room that has 20 students versus a room that has 40 students, no matter how good the teacher is. 2. Although unions have limited the power of administration in terms of firing poor-performing employers, they have also protected the 40 hour work week. Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of the Washington, D.C. schools, is fervently anti-union and would also like the school day to run from 7AM to 7PM, six days a week, all year round. It would be difficult to raise a child under those circumstances (especially since every class is two hours of prep for us teachers, daily). It would be almost impossible to even own a dog or go to a doctor's appointment. Although work is very important to all of us, having a life is necessary for our sanity. What do you think - as a student - of a 72 hour school week? 3. The city where I work was the first in the nation to open charter schools. They were approved in 1989. Research has been prohibited on them since 1995. In that time, I have seen some good charter schools, several mediocre charter schools (with good intentions), and some very poor charter schools that close almost as soon as they open. In fact, charter schools have struggled to find funding from the beginning; their salaries and benefits cannot compete with public schools. Now, in times of economic recession, more charter schools than ever are closing in this city, interrupting the education of their children and pushing them back to the public schools. 4. What is the solution? Take a look at funding first. How can charter schools afford class sizes of 20 when public schools can barely afford to lower class sizes to 40? Why should good charter schools be forced to close? And, before this nation sees an end to all unions, blaming them for economic crisis: what benefit do unions serve, not just to their members, but to all of society? I am a teacher at a large urban district. I have worked for private schools, public schools, and charter schools.

Some ideas to consider:

1. Charter schools are often MUCH smaller than public schools. Staff have much more opportunity to collaborate to improve lessons and work together on the curriculum. The principal also has more time to observe lessons and conference with teachers to set goals. Smaller schools mean larger opportunity for parent involvement. It’s easier to get a hold of 50 parents as opposed to 1500. And, the bottom line, of course, is that a MUCH better class is going to occur in a room that has 20 students versus a room that has 40 students, no matter how good the teacher is.

2. Although unions have limited the power of administration in terms of firing poor-performing employers, they have also protected the 40 hour work week. Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of the Washington, D.C. schools, is fervently anti-union and would also like the school day to run from 7AM to 7PM, six days a week, all year round. It would be difficult to raise a child under those circumstances (especially since every class is two hours of prep for us teachers, daily). It would be almost impossible to even own a dog or go to a doctor’s appointment. Although work is very important to all of us, having a life is necessary for our sanity. What do you think – as a student – of a 72 hour school week?

3. The city where I work was the first in the nation to open charter schools. They were approved in 1989. Research has been prohibited on them since 1995. In that time, I have seen some good charter schools, several mediocre charter schools (with good intentions), and some very poor charter schools that close almost as soon as they open. In fact, charter schools have struggled to find funding from the beginning; their salaries and benefits cannot compete with public schools. Now, in times of economic recession, more charter schools than ever are closing in this city, interrupting the education of their children and pushing them back to the public schools.

4. What is the solution? Take a look at funding first. How can charter schools afford class sizes of 20 when public schools can barely afford to lower class sizes to 40? Why should good charter schools be forced to close? And, before this nation sees an end to all unions, blaming them for economic crisis: what benefit do unions serve, not just to their members, but to all of society?

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