The superintendent this past Thursday at the WJCT studios said teachers should give up on certain poor performing children. He said for the most part their outcomes are determined and they in a time of limited resources were not just worth the effort. I was flabbergasted, I thought we were always supposed to try and do the right thing even if the chances for being successfully were negligible.
Apparently the super disagrees.
Record scratch.
Wait did I say students? Sorry I meant to say the reason the district does not fight against charter schools even ones that will most likely do a poor job and hurt children is because often the outcome of fighting against these charters with the state board of education is predetermined. That in this time of limited resources doing the right thing just isn’t financially feasible.
I get it too, it’s 2015 in Florida and the charter industry has paid for some powerful friends, unfortunately they are not going anywhere and even I don’t think they all should. If a charter provides a program that the district doesn’t then I think that charter has a place. Charters are not going anywhere but with that being said why can’t we say no to charters whose business models break the law, are blatant cash grabs, run by charlatans and mercenaries, ones that are unnecessary, would not be successful working with poor children or ones the super admits he has serious concerns about. Why can’t we say no to those?
Why are teachers supposed to do the right things by all their kids but the super doesn’t have to do right by our district?
Two more points, when the super gives the KIPP School as an example of a charter that is performing well he is being disingenuousor ignorant. The KIPP School spends about a third more per student and they have a thriving and dedicated music program and despite this their success has been mixed. I submit that if any public school had access to the same resources they would be blowing the KIPP School out of the water.
Second he talks about how parents want choice. Do you know what parents wanted choice? The parents of the acclaim academy that abruptly closed last March. The parents who sent children to the dozen other Jax charter schools that have closed and the parents who sent their kids to the 300 plus charters that have closed statewide.
Some parents do want choice but the vast majority just want a safe school where they know their kids are getting a quality education. Parents shouldn’t have to depend on the fore mentioned charlatans and mercenaries who would say anything to make a buck to get it.
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