D.C. Charter Leader Objects To Plan Setting Aside Seats For At-Risk Students

[Jefferson23]

By: Martin Austermuhle
August 22, 2014


The leader of the D.C. Public Charter School Board is objecting to a provision in a broader plan to change the city's school boundaries that could affect what type of students charter schools admit.

In a series of tweets this morning, Scott Pearson, the executive director of the board, said he opposed setting aside seats for at-risk students at certain charter schools, arguing that the policy had not been properly studied.

Though the changes to school boundaries and feeder patterns primarily affect the city's traditional public schools, one provision adopted by Mayor Vincent Gray would require any school — traditional, selective admission or charter — with less than 25 percent at-risk students to give priority to at-risk students for 25 percent of seats in lottery admissions.

An at-risk student is defined as one who is homeless, in foster care, whose family is receiving welfare benefits or food stamps, or is in high school and a year behind their peers. Currently, 43 percent of all D.C. students are considered at-risk.

City officials say that the provision — along with requirements for a certain amount of seats for out-of-boundary students at all schools — would ensure that students facing difficult circumstances could attend the city's best-performing schools. There has been an increased emphasis on the needs of at-risk students; $116 million in additional funding is being directed to at-risk students in the school year beginning next week.

remainder: http://wamu.org/news/14/08/22/charter_leader_objects_to_dc_requirement_for_set_asides_for_as_risk_students

[elleng]

1. 'the policy had not been properly studied?'

[Jefferson23]

4. I take that to mean, he wants a way out to secure his control over the outcomes for

the students..so lets stall. Contemptible creep is what is he.

[d_r]

2. Oh no we can't

let that riff-raff in to the charter school.

The issue has been properly studied, test scores are all about demographics.

The charter school people know it, and that is why they want to pick and choose who is allowed.

[Jefferson23]

6. Precisely. n/t

[The Magistrate]

3. What Part Of 'Public', Sir, Does This Wretch Not Understand?

[Jefferson23]

5. He understands, sir...the wretch prefers to stack the deck in his favor by process

of elimination.

[The Magistrate]

7. Then He Should Run A Private School, Sir, And Leave Off Pocketing Public Money

The 'charter school' movement is nothing but a scheme to divert public funds to private pockets; its only 'educational' value is that of teaching people once again that grifters are after the public treasury, and will stop at nothing to get their hands in it. A lesson you would think long since learned....

[Jefferson23]

8. Yes and the scheme has only increased over time, sir. n/t

[Starry Messenger]

9. That's because they aren't public schools. Full stop.

Does the Charter School Board have its own board? Are they elected? The title of executive director would suggest that these are not elected positions.

[QC]

10. Publicly funded private schools. That's what they are.

Florida is eaten up with charter schools, and for every good one there are many more than are outright scams.

[Starry Messenger]

11. I find them so depressing.

Last edited Sun Aug 24, 2014, 11:21 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't know why someone would want to put their kid into some chain school like a Subway sandwich place. And you're right, most of them are just scams.

[madfloridian]

12. Tweeted this...thanks for the post.

[Jefferson23]

13. You're very welcome..thank you for tweeting it.