The Quasi-Corner Store Approach: District and Charter Schools

Growing up in Philly, corner stores are really the corner stones of neighborhoods!! So much so, that as I was looking to relocate to where I'm living now, I drove around the blocks of my new hood in my father's car looking for where the corner stores were because I was "in between cars" at the time. There were NONE to be found and I almost didn't move there because of that. With no car, a corner store was going to be important to my very existence!!!! Ok, a bit hyperbolic, but you get my drift.

Prior to moving, I was used to corner stores being everywhere and wherever I lived in Philly from childhood through adulthood. Two were sometimes on the same corner, with one around the corner, a Chinese store or two down the block, with a 7-Eleven nestled up in there (because Wawa--my fav--refuses to come to the 'hood').

My point is, corner stores were everywhere and if they played their cards right, the majority were and are successful. I go to 'hood' of my youth near 54th and Baltimore and still see some of the same corner stores my siblings and I would stop by on the way home from Harrington Elementary (although that water ice place in/around the old furniture jawn is now a Rite Aid---somebody knows what I'm talking about lol)

Charter schools in Philly seem to take what I'm calling a quasi-corner store approach. They seem to be popping up everywhere, including right across the street in some cases from district schools. "Quasi" because corner stores offer pretty much the same thing and tend to do well even if there are two on same corner. I cannot say that our charter operators are offering the same "thing" or even a better "thing".

In general, charter school operators tend not to serve as many children with special needs, as many children with behavioral difficulties, as many children with academic struggles. I don't have to quote anybody's research, I've seen it in action as a teacher in a public school. I've taught the students who were straight up put out or were "encouraged" (counseled) out. Within minutes I was able to understand why they were now in my class, and that was OK with me in the sense that I welcome a challenge. It wasn't OK with me that the charter miracle workers that so many make them out to be couldn't turn the water into wine or calm the raging sea!! (Many of my colleagues around the district can testify of these truths as well. I hear the stories all the time.)

"Quasi" because while there are those who would look at this post to bolster the whole "choice" argument (since I'm using corner stores as a metaphor), let me remind you, we are dealing with children not chips! If I don't want salt & vinegar chips, I don't pick them up. If I pick them up by accident, I put them back. Hmmmm, now where have I seen such actions before? Children are NOT commodities!

We are and have been dealing with the unfortunate and racist realities of a dreadfully underfunded school district that serves many children in this region with the highest needs. Stepping out of my public school advocacy role for just a QUICK second, even charter operators understand the impact of underfunding; irony personified. So much so, that everyone stopped fighting for a moment and came together to send a letter, petitioning Harrisburg for funds.

With each new corner store opening, that's additional money syphoned away from already underfunded schools. How and why is that fair?

Wait!! I'll ask for you, "well, how is it fair to kids and families that they get stuck in a failing school?"

1.  What exactly is a failing school?
2.  Why is defunding the school the solution to whatever problems you may see?

This post comes on the heels of my learning that the closed Leidy Elementary School on Belmont Ave, here in Philly, will reopen as Inquiry Charter School, right across the street from Discovery Charter School and around the corner from BLAKENBURG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, where Global Leadership Academy moved right across the street. Too much? Yupperz!!

The quasi-corner store approach!

Why the SRC shouldn't approve the 39 new charters...

Want to know why the SRC shouldn't approve the THIRTY-NINE (39) NEW charter schools?

Multiply John B. Kelly Elementary School's story by SEVERAL DOZEN real public schools and feel free to add things that at the moment I can't think of because I'm irritated:

1.  We don't have a nurse five days a week, we have her 3x per week (and some schools less than that)

2.  We have an art teacher once a week. On a Tuesday. (many schools don't even have that much)

3.  We have four Noon Time Aids for 700 kids at the lunches

4.  Kindergarten classes are sitting at 30 kids (contractual limit yes, but why max out?)

5.  One secretary for 700 kids, more than 100 adults, and a host of parents, delivery persons, outside agencies, etc. who need to be "buzzed" in. But security is a priority?

6.  I buy dozens of books so that my kids can have NICE, clean, new books to read and not tattered, old, donated books from the 1980s and 1990s

7.  I painted my own classroom from whatever old, jaded (is that the word I want? Probably not, but I'll use it anyway) color it was to reflect a classroom that says, "You're Welcome Here" and not "I don't give a rat's houtinany about you"

8.  With my own money I purchased magazine subscriptions and have purchased whole class sets of grade level (or slightly above) books that are relevant (i.e. The Story of Ruby Bridges)

9.  A guest teacher, during her prep and lunch is organizing Afro-centric books and placing them  in clear view for teachers to use in class because we have no librarian

10. I haven't seen a raise since January, 2012, nor have I seen a step increase since 2013 or an upgrade in pay when I received my M.Ed (and Reading Specialist cert, by the way...an area that many of our children struggle in...I'm just saying...)

I'm sure I'm missing a TON of other things that I'm not thinking of that truly make our schools, schools and places where teachers feel respected and appreciated.

But there's a whole movement out there that is pushing for the approval of 39 NEW charter schools which would all but completely bankrupt our district and cause more harm than good! We have 86 charters already. The second largest district in Pennsylvania can be found right here with our charters along with the largest district, our district run, real public schools!

Stupid people we have in this world. Just idiots! Sheesh!

York, PA poised to turn charter huh?

And the big story is...

So, just a couple of hours from Philly in York, PA, the York City School District's schools are poised to become PA's first all charter district, having just been taken over by the state...or wait, what are they calling it? "Receivership"??? Aside from the fact that the term sounds ominously like a term from Lois Lowry's The Giver, Pennsylvania hasn't been doing well with the whole, "we can run a district better" thing.

They've been "receivership"ping Philadelphia's public schools since 2001. It is important to note that under their omniscient (sike), all watchful (pshh), recievership eye, we've plunged further and further into debt, all the while experiencing a net-GROWTH in the size of our district by the acceptance of many charter schools!

Some nuts swear by charter schools and are headstrong in their belief that the management of real public schools by these quasi-public, pseudo-accountable entities and the dissolution of teachers' unions are the answers to what ails many students in public schools! Not so!

If teachers' unions are the roadblocks to education, then by default, our wealthier suburban counterparts and their students would be enduring similar struggles since they, too, have teachers' unions. But, I'm sure, *they* have access to functional libraries, a nurse, counselor, the arts, gym, and a myriad of extra curricular activities and tutoring services at their disposal! As they should, but so should we, but I digress...

If the choice advocates really believed in the idea of "choice" as they suppose, they'd be pushing for such free-market enterprise in areas beyond Philadelphia's city borders, and I don't mean in Chester, but rather Chichester. Not in Camden, but in Council Rock!

My point? Pick one! Any one! There are many!

It's easy to pick on teachers and an unrealistic measure of student achievement like a single (or even a few) test scores! That is easy to package, ship, sell, and unload on an unsuspecting and easily swayed general public.

The problems are much more complex than that! Issues of the limitation of resources and opportunities, issues of true poverty, issues of substance abuse, issues of 8-year old heads of households, issues of homelessness, domestic violence, sexual abuse and in some cases (unpopular though it may be to discuss) the poor choices of parents and guardians.

Converting a school or an entire system does NOTHING to ameliorate those problems! Converting a school or an entire system to a charter oversimplifies complex problems all the while vilifying most of the hardworking, dedicated, well-equipped, certified public school teachers who have dedicated their lives to the service of educating generations of students and their families!

If we should fix anything, it should be the narrow-minded, elitist, pompous, high-minded, racist way of thinking on the part of many in positions who not only make laws, but those who buy...ooops, I mean, "influence" laws!

40 New Charter apps??? Really!!??!!

So, it's my lunch break and I happened upon my twitter account. One of the first stories I see is the fact that the School Reform Commission (SRC) will be reviewing 40 new charter school applications! Under the newly passed cigarette tax, which I was apprehensive about to begin with and even more so when provisions were added, allows this criminal act!

Philadelphia faces financial shortfalls every year! If 40 new charter schools open in Philadelphia, we have all but seen the end of true public education in Philadelphia as we know it. If the SRC rejects the applicants, the charter operators can appeal directly to the state.

#Corrupt and #Bankrupt

smh

INNN, West Philadelphia, born and raised...

I thoroughly enjoyed the Fresh Prince of Bel Air sitcom starring West Philly's own Will Smith in the 1990s. I recently decided to purchase many seasons of the show on DVD for my viewing pleasure. There were many episodes that I had long forgot about which brought fresh laughs!

As an adult, I now look at the episodes with a different lens--only if I feel like thinking while watching.

The "Father Knows Best" episode of season 5 was about Ashley Banks's (Tatyana Ali) decision to secretly withdraw from her prestigious private school, Bel Air Academy, to attend the neighborhood public school, Morris High School.

Her decision sparks outrage and something that Uncle Phil (James Avery) called a "capital crime."

What's interesting though, is to hear the dialogue play out throughout the entire episode. We get to hear the characters' varied opinions of public schools and of private schools. (So now you understand why I chose to blog about the episode? Yup!)

Ashley thanks Will for opening her eyes to a real, non-"fake" world, where, as she states, there are real people "who take public transportation and don't have butlers." (That would be me, although I do hope to lose some of my "realness" and get my Honda back up and running again...but I digress.)

Will risks life and limb to defend Ashely's decision to Uncle Phil.

Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) is concerned about what a public school image would look like to a Princeton's admissions officer.

Vivian (Daphne Reid) wants to at least have a conversation about Ashley attending public school.

And we know that Uncle Phil is dead-set against it, even after meeting Ashley's homeroom teacher at Morris High. Note: It is Will who notes that it was a public school teacher who visited their home and questions when a teacher from Bel Air Academy ever visited.

If you can, watch the episode and see how it ends.  According to at least one particular youtube source, the episode can be found on Amazon's website. I have the DVDs and am enjoying a visit back to the 90s.

(No mention of charter schools. I'm just saying.)

"Steve, what can I do?"

This morning as I was driving my baby sister to work, we passed by a nice, brand new Discovery Charter School building. As we passed that new building, I readily pointed out the school directly across the street, Leidy Elementary School. This school should sound familiar. It has closed for good as of June 30th!

Not 60 seconds later as we turned onto Girard Ave, I eagerly pointed out the recently erected Global Leadership Academy Charter School. A quick look to the left, Blankenburg Elementary School, a real public school that does not admit students via lottery along with huge media coverage.

After this brief rant, she turned to me and asked me, "Steve, what can I do?"

I answered, with no shortage of all the possibilities!