The JPEF left out some very important information when it comes to charter schools in their school choice study. During the 2008-2011 school years the district's overall grade was a B.
However by 2012 when the proliferation of charter schools really taking off the district’s grade dropped to a C and has stayed their since.
Charter schools many of which are run by for profit management companies and as a group perform worse than their public school counterparts, something the study also didn't mention, along with vouchers, siphon away resources from public schools and have created a downward spiral I am not sure we can come out of.
I have always thought we should have more schools like Frank Peterson, A Phillip Randolf, Douglass Anderson and the academic magnets so more students and parents can have choices. The thing is when our elected leaders and the JPEF talk about choice what they are really talking about is the privatization of our public schools with vouchers and charters and Jacksonville is a prime example for how poorly that has worked.
The answer is to adequately fund and fix the problems in our public schools not to outsource our students education to for profit entities, charters or schools that resist accountability, vouchers, both of which siphon away resources and perform worse
To see the study, click the link: http://www.jaxpef.org/news/2014/11/policy-brief-7-school-choice.aspx
So Magnet Schools are a thing of the past; now, all we hear about is CHARTer from CHARTrand. Oh! sorry! And VOUCHER! The only gift Public Schools received, by force, is TEACHER ACCOUNTABILITY.
ReplyDeleteIt appears to me that the Charter Schools are somehow appended to the Public Schools but do not require teacher accountability. My suspicion is that when Charters have caused enough of a decadence, the Powers that be will reintegrate them into the Public School System. The damage done to Public Education will take decades to erase. As I picture it - a Sinister Plot is afoot. Everyone needs to start seeing this! Open your eyes! Look back at History! It hasn't been long since our fore-parents were slaves right here in America! Let us Stand Strong Together and Take Back our Public Education; its our Civil Rights.
ReplyDeleteNotice that these White Billionaires and Millionaires are invading the Urban Communities of Poor and not so educated Black People under the pretext that they are there to save Black Children from 'a substandard public education system'. Yet, after so many years their Charter Schools are performing at ultra-substandard levels, while only their money purses are ballooning. Shame on these Rich White People, and I pray that they be rewarded well for their Deeds!!!
ReplyDeleteAs a parent of 2 boys, we all need the charters and any other form of schools to be successful. Academics is only one measure of success. If being in a smaller setting and receiving individual attention helps a child become a productive citizen, then I'm all for it. Ribault, Raines, Jackson and First Coast have had adequate to time to accomplish this and if residents of the community thought their children would be better off at these schools the charter school and other types of school would not have a market.
ReplyDeleteThat's not necessarily true. You can't starve a school of resources, saddle them with bad programs and poor leadership and then go, see they failed we need choice, especially since as a group the choices are worse.
ReplyDeleteFlorida set up a self fulfilling prophecy and we are all the worse for it.