[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Coming Soon to a District Near You

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Coming Soon to a District Near You
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1214367851.shtml


   Faster than the Legislature can raise its pay, Charter Schools are
   booming in Minnesota, adding over 4,300 students just this past year
   while public school enrollment continues to decline. Ignoring private
   and home schooling, their market share has increased from 1.2% to 3.4%
   in just six years. That's an annual growth rate of 19%, enough to take
   it all in 20 more years. Something has to be done, right?
   The Senate tried last year, proposing a moratorium of 150 Charter
   Schools, but even with their near veto-proof margins, the DFL
   leadership couldn't find enough votes to pass it. Currently, there are
   143 Charter Schools in Minnesota and now for the first time, the
   suburbs outnumber Minneapolis and St. Paul, which may explain why the
   moratorium stalled. This could also swing some of the first ring
   suburban Legislators next round, perhaps as part of the large income
   tax and K-12 spending increase Sen. Mindy Greiling will be introducing
   next year. But it looks like Charter Schools are here to stay,
   especially given their roots in the core cities. Something has to be
   done, right?
   ***
   Come back in time with me 25 years ago. Shopping malls went up
   everywhere, filled immediately with new and ever more specialty
   retailers. This gave the department stores, even the discounters at
   times, great pause. The response was to bring the mall experience
   inside the barns, every department its own botique. Overall, they had
   some good success with it, but every year a department or two would be
   lost to a category specialist.
   Is this what the public schools are doing, trying to offer a variety
   of crafts aboard their aircraft carriers? Many are, offering
   International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), Language
   Immerision, Fine Arts, etc. at various schools. But will it work?
   ***
   June 24, 2008
   To the Editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

     Recent articles have pointed out the rapid growth of charter
     schools and loss of students in district schools, particularly
     Minneapolis. Parents make choices, and many chose to leave district
     schools and enroll in charter schools. Why should this be, and what
     can be learned?
     For many years as a school district principal, I experienced the
     frustration of having exciting ideas I and staff proposed turned
     down by layers of administrators and school boards. Districts are
     too reluctant to yield decisionmaking authority to teachers and
     principals. Districts want uniformity and regulation in an era when
     people desire to exercise creativity in order to meet challenges.
     Charter schools fill the bill with small, responsive programs.
     Nothing prevents districts from doing the same thing other than
     lack of trust in their own staff to initiate new programs. Many
     millions of dollars to support change in district schools hasn't
     produced a winning formula.
     It's easier than that. Give people opportunities to start programs,
     provide support, set accountability goals and offer choices to
     students and parents.
     [1]WAYNE JENNINGS, ST. PAUL

   Mr. Jennings now appears to be a consultant, hence the link to his web
   site.
   ***
   As I said, many districts are diversifing. But is Jennings right, that
   there is too much power, too high up?

References

   1. http://www.waynejennings.net/index.html