Superintendent (Charter School) Vitti is very popular with the pro privatization blogs

Sometimes it is hard to tell where Gary Chartrand ends and the superintendent begins. They both love charter schools, Teach for America and have often been disdainful of teachers. So it’s no wonder that Vitti has been a huge proponent of allowing Chartrand’s pet KIPP School to expand.

Superintendent Vitti in ReDefined Ed, the states pro-privatization blog:  “There are charter schools that have a track record of success, and particular charter schools that have failed, and failed in multiple areas,” he said. “Let’s not have an ideological conversation. Let’s have one based on data where we look at individual charter schools, individual traditional public schools, and ask the question: Who’s successful? Who’s not? And what’s the best situation for parents based on how they’re looking at it, and how the district as informed educators are looking at it.

http://www.redefinedonline.org/2013/01/a-florida-superintendents-take-on-choice-charter-schools-competition-authorization-nikolai-vitti-podcasted/#sthash.HTvkZXl6.dpuf

His words make sense, his words are what we want to happen but unfortunately with this super his deeds and words don’t always match up.

Here are some things you should know about the KIPP School, the successful school he is pushing to expand.

The schools grades have been F, lowest grade in Northeast Florida, a miraculous B, it would have dropped to a D if the state didn’t have a schools can only drop one letter grade rule and then another B. Then according to the Times Union of the 88 students who started the first class at KIPP, only 64 finished, that’s about 30% who didn’t finish. KIPP also has a national reputation for counseling out poor performers and using kill and drill techniques instead of educating. They also spend about a third more per child and can require parents to be involved.

Maybe when compared to most Duval Charter schools this is considered a success but do you consider it one?

If public schools had a third more resources, could require parents to be involved and could council out poor performers how much better do you think they would be? They don’t and can’t and most are better than the KIPP schools anyway. 

I don’t know about you but I want a super who is willing to fight for our schools rather than one who says one thing and does another.