Taking on a charter school closing

[Starry Messenger]

http://socialistworker.org/2010/03/26/charter-school-closing

LOS ANGELES--On March 22, students at Ánimo Justice Charter High School, with full support of their families and community, staged a sit-in and rally to protest the school's closure by parent company Green Dot Public Schools. In the letter, Petruzzi stated, "In this difficult budget environment, Green Dot cannot afford to supplement the costs of an under-enrolled school without impacting the quality of programming." The decision to close the school was made in secret by Green Dot's unelected board of directors.

Los Angeles education activists were somewhat stunned. Green Dot has been touted by pro-charter politicians and the press as "the model" for schools. This was the charter chain that Education Secretary Arne Duncan claimed had "cracked the code" to educational success.

...

So how could Green Dot--which constantly boasted of long waiting lists as evidence that charter detractors are wrong--close a campus because of under-enrollment? Green Dot, which receives millions of extra dollars from the Broad, Gates and Walton Foundations, has complained of a "difficult budget environment."

Following the sit-in on March 22, a rally by students, parents, teachers and supporters caused police to close 27th Street. Exasperated parents demanded to talk with Green Dot's CEO and school officials, but were turned away. This was especially poignant given that Green Dot's so-called "Parent Revolution" group, which claims to be the voice of parent empowerment, was nowhere to be found when Ánimo Justice parents needed support. Organizers of the protest vow more actions in the coming days.

Video of students speaking out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbtUUBS3eO0


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-greendot23-2010mar23,0,1323354.story

We built the school from scratch," Campos said.

"We chose the name of the school and the colors. And now all of that is being taken away."

The school will close at the end of the academic year.

The five Green Dot charters have registered higher test scores than Jefferson, but now they face enrollment competition from other charter schools as well as from a new district high school nearby. And another L.A. Unified high school is under construction.

Green Dot's financial model relies on philanthropic subsidies until it can build enrollment, one grade at a time, to 560 students. Animo Justice never quite hit its annual enrollment targets, accumulating a $1 million deficit, said chief executive Marco Petruzzi.

Great "business plan". :sarcasm:

[Catshrink]

1. If you build it, they will come.

Apparently not.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I have often wondered

how transparent is the governing group/board over a charter school? Do they have public meetings? Do Sunshine Laws apply? How do they make these decisions without public input??