Blogger gets it: Make big bucks by closing public schools, firing teachers, opening charters.

[madfloridian]

Since the so-called major media doesn't cover the new Democratic trend in education, bloggers are taking over the task. I found a lot of good stuff and wry bitter humor at a blog called NYC Educator

This blogger most certainly gets it, and some of those commenting do also.

Close Public Schools, Fire Teachers, Open Charters and Make Big Bucks!

Well, when they told Jed Clampett Cali-for-nee-ah's the place you oughta be, they weren't kidding. Movie star/ politician Arnold Schwarzenegger's got a deal for parents in La-La Land, giving them all sorts of options to "improve" their schools:

Some of the options parents would have to choose from include: replacing the existing administration with a charter school, closing schools and replacing some or all of the existing staff.

Amazingly they are the same options that are available in Florida. Fire the teachers, close the schools, or turn them into something else...charters.

What the other options may be I have no idea, as the article didn't deem them worthy of mention. I can't help but notice that there's nothing there about supporting or improving the schools. Apparently they must either be closed, replaced, or the staff must be gotten rid of. I have to also assume that when the schools are closed or replaced with charters, it's bye-bye staff. There is no possibility, therefore, that the school's problems could emanate from anywhere but the schools unionized employees.

So this makes being a parent much easier. If my kid flunks out, there's clearly something wrong with the school and it must be closed or replaced by a charter. At the very least, we need to fire all the staff.

That does make it easier indeed. Just keep blaming the teachers for everything, take the onus from the parents and children.

The blogger cites an interesting event, I experienced similar ones before I retired.

Last year I covered a class for an absent AP. One kid was listening to an Ipod. I told him to put it away, and he did. The second time, I told him it would be my Ipod if I saw it again. The third time, I sent it to the dean's office. When I went to check up on what happened, I ran into the kid's mom. She told me it was his "enjoyment," and that I had no right to have taken it. She said she wanted to make sure he was never in my class.

lol sounds familiar.

Here is a very interesting comment from one of the posters at the site.

I'm in California and blogged about this new scorched-earth concept in education reform. Here's the excerpt:

"...if 50% of the parents in an elementary school, or 50% of the total parents in a middle or high school and that school’s feeder schools, sign a petition, destruction is wrought on the target school.

(Point of information: The Los Angeles organization Parent Revolution, which is behind this provision, is not an actual parent group. It’s an “Astroturf” (fake grassroots) organization run by a group of charter school operators, with a paid “organizer” in charge.)

Here is more about those "grassroots" parents groups.

Talk about a corporate power play?

One place to start looking at the tremendous growth of these seemingly grass-root groups of parents is in the city of Los Angeles where not only 250 schools have been given the bums rush out of the corridors of public management, but they are due to be thrown into the laps of non-profit outfits like Green Dot Public Schools or Alliance Public Schools, to name just a few. It is truly astounding, for in the case of the non-profit school systems that are emerging, these non-profit EMO’s are bent on creating a new, national retail chain of charter schools with outlets in as many states and school districts they can possibly get their hands on and their tactics are not unlike the ‘grass-root’ town hall health care meetings.

Corporate funded grassroots. Seems to be working well.

Unfortunately.

[Hannah Bell]

1. There can't be any doubt about what's going on in anyone's mind by now.

This is a ruling class agenda pushed by some big money, & the Obama admin & a lot of the states are fully behind it.

The hold-outs are being undermined with dirty politics.

And a big section of the general public is completely out of the loop.

[Leopolds Ghost]

28. It's what Obama is doing in New Orleans, he actually AGREES with Bobby Jindal's agenda there

And he and many DUers are explicitly in favor of demolishing 100% of New Orleans' public housing,

in the face of opposition from historic preservationists because the units in question were the first to be built nationwide under the New Deal.

They are being replaced with... owner-occupied dwellings and the city's only Wal-Mart.

[defendandprotect]

96. Capitalism should be the official "dirty word" in our dictionaries . . .

what a menace to humans and the planet!!

[Vidar]

2. K&R.

[snot]

3. K&R'd -- this is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

We've seemingly lost the war for control of the media and election; education is the next, crucial front. We MUST focus attention and EFFORT on this issue, before it's too late!

[DeadEyeDyck]

16. ditto

[proud2BlibKansan]

43. + a gazillion

[immoderate]

4. K&R

--imm

[highplainsdem]

5. K&R. Thanks for posting this. It's sickening to read about, but people need to know.

[Karmadillo]

6. We need to let the Democratic Party know about this so they can fight for us.

nt

[amborin]

8. you mean

like Duncan?

[proud2BlibKansan]

44. Did you forget the sarcasm smiley?

[Karmadillo]

46. Oh ye of little faith. Wait. Just wait. One day the Democratic Party will learn what's happening to

education across the country and they will fight for us! You just wait! It's going to happen. Soon. Any day. You'll see. They'll rise up out of the pumpkin patch and they'll set things straight.

[madfloridian]

57. lol

:o

[racaulk]

70. I can't tell if this is a post of ignorance or of sarcasm.

Either way, it's funny.

:rofl:

[pattmarty]

53. You're kidding, right?

[defendandprotect]

98. LOOOOOOVEE IT!!

How does anyone miss that point?????

:)




We're trying to get liberals/progressives together to discuss issues and a

Plan B---

If you're interest . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=244&topic_id=2468&mesg_id=2476

[amborin]

7. K$R

[Quantess]

9. I fully expect Erik Prince to open up charter schools.

Well maybe not, but I wouldn't be surprised, either.

[happy_liberal]

13. me too

There is already a troops to teachers program, this would just be the next step...

[Hannah Bell]

33. wall street hedge fund types are some of the primary backers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/fashion/06charter.html

By NANCY HASS
Published: December 4, 2009

THEIR company names were conspicuously absent from their nametags, but that is how these hedge fund managers and analysts — members of a field known for secrecy — preferred it. They filled the party space at the W Hotel on Lexington Avenue in late October, mostly men in their 30s. Balancing drinks on easels adorned with students’ colorful drawings, they juggled PDA’s and business cards, before sitting down to poker tables to raise money for New York City charter schools.

Robert Reffkin considers charter schools “the civil rights struggle of my generation.”
Working the room, the evening’s hosts, John Petry and Joel Greenblatt, who are partners in the hedge fund Gotham Capital, had an agenda: to identify new candidates to join their Success Charter Network, a cause they embrace with all the fervor of social reformers.

[pattmarty]

54. He has already. For the police forces across the country.

[Zookeeper]

10. I've had a fair amount of experience with charter schools....

One of my children has ADD, which started creating problems for him in school by the 5th grade. We put him in three different charter schools and the district's alternative learning center. Although, we (obviously) weren't happy with the mainstream public school for him, the charter schools were all much worse. One was OK, but not a great fit for him. The other two were extremely disorganized and one of the three seemed to be primarily an ego-trip for the school principal and eventually went bankrupt.

No doubt, there are decent charter schools out there. However, I wish we had just left him in the public schools, where the resources available to deal with ADD were actually greater than in the charter schools. He ended up getting a GED before his class graduated and had excellent test scores, which I attribute to the good foundation he received in his public elementary school.

If the Rethugs have their way, education will become a privilege instead of a right.

[justanaverageguy]

66. I have much experience too, but a bit different outcome

I am a huge proponent of a public education system and come from a long line of public school teachers and administrators. My son is autistic, and the local public school system just wasn't providing him what he needed to succeed. Like in any large organization, some teachers and administrators were great and worked very hard with him, others I just wanted to strangle as they lacked any desire to even try. He's now in a private school that relies heavily on state funds that are channeled to them through state funded student scholarships. The school my son is in now is a perfect fit for him and he is doing VERY well. He is in 2nd grade. The tuition unfortunately runs in the neighborhood of 14K per school year and that doesn't included summer programs if we should elect them. We do get some help with state sponsored scholarships, but we foot the bill for the rest.

I don't blame the school system, the administrators, or the teachers. They can't be all things for all people. Unfortunately my son is one of those rare instances where is he better off outside the public school system.

With that being said there needs to be some sort of system in place to recognize that a child is not being served in the public system and to help him find and fund a proper education outside of the public system. We had to search hard and long to find a private school that was a fit for him (fortunately we can afford it, barely). Private schools are quite often a scam. They babysit your ESE kid and give him passing grades while just taking your money. The more the privatization of public schools occur, the more that this has to be expected.

[chervilant]

76. hmm...

Clearly, you are not just an average guy. You obliquely identify the PRIMARY factor in the academic success of any child--the parents.

Four years ago, I left mortgage lending to become a teacher. The VAST MAJORITY of the parents with whom I've interacted are either completely uninvolved in their child's education, or they are undocumented workers with limited English, afraid to address any problems at their schools for fear of deportation.

Then, there are the parents who assert, "Why are you calling me? When he's at school, he's YOUR problem, not mine!" Really, there are no words to describe how frustrating is that sort of parent.

I find many of my veteran teachers to be truly remarkable people--working diligently to imbue their students with a love of learning, and encouraging them to celebrate their academic successes. My experience with administrators has not been as positive, probably because they get squeezed hard by NCLB, and the ridiculous standardized testing that remains uncorrelated with academic success.

The Corporate Megalomaniacs have been chipping away at our system of public education (again, NCLB--need I say more?). They want a work force for the service industries, factories, and menial jobs that pay little and offer marginal benefits. That way, they can insure that the majority of the profits go in their pockets. If we don't address this inequity, the charter school issue will remain a big boil on the backside of public education.

[skepticscott]

104. Which is why the game is rigged

in favor of charter/magnet/choice schools right from the beginning. Even if they can't hand pick the students they want, the process of admission effectively hand picks the parents, which is at least as important. It is essentially only students whose parents are already well invested in their education that can and will go to the trouble. Some of these schools even require a certain number of volunteer hours from parents, which any public school teacher would kill to have.

And in a school district of any size, it’s no great trick to establish a few special schools that will perform above the local average when the founders can ensure that they will have an above average facility, above average teachers and administrators, above average teaching materials, laboratories and computers, and parents who are involved and concerned enough with their children’s education to make a special effort to enroll them. Given all of these built-in advantages, it should be surprising only when a charter school fails to perform better than other schools in its neighborhood that have to take what they get in those respects. Even if charter schools are showing improvement, this must be weighed against the questions of whether this improvement benefits only a limited number of students, and whether the diversion of resources necessary to create charter schools actually lowers the quality of education for the majority of students who cannot take advantage of them.

[jotsy]

11. Do you have any idea how much you rock?

I guess you could take that with a grain of salt, as a recovering sales person I can be a shameless suck up. Education is a deep and messy trench issue and your decision to focus on publicizing the threat to it makes you, IMO, a champion of a better tomorrow. As a parent I thank you.

[Starry Messenger]

12. recommend.

[New Dawn]

14. The DLC will rob us blind, if we let them.

[defendandprotect]

99. True.... some people still think that capitalism is about business .... it's not ...

It's about elites attaching themselves to government to feed off its wealth,

resources, transfer that wealth to themselves -- and taxpayer dollars, as well.



Meanwhile, we are trying to get liberls/progressives together to discuss issues

and a Plan B --

If you're interested . . .


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=244&topic_id=2468&mesg_id=2476

and you'll note we're off to a very slooooow start!!

:)

[glitch]

15. And then Gibbs wonders why the base isn't enthused with their party right now.

Remarkable.

[defendandprotect]

100. Imagine Obama pushing Charter Schools -- !!!

A few of us are trying to get liberals/progressives together to discuss

moving the agenda of the administration to the left -- etal -- whatever --

Plan B --

If you're interested . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=244&topic_id=2468&mesg_id=2476

Off to a slow start at the moment!

[omega minimo]

17. More commentary on CA's part in this farce in Sunday SF Chronicle

[starroute]

18. Grover Norquist and his pals have been behind this from the start

It's easy to blame the Obama administration for buying into it -- but they're Johnny-come-lately at this. It's the conservative public policy institutes associated with Grover Norquist and his pals who first began the push for charter schools.

The religious right is also behind it because they see it as akin to vouchers -- a scheme for getting public money into religious education.

It's too late at night to start digging for sources -- but a little googling will turn up a lot in this area.

[EndersDame]

21. For me, charter high school was an escape from the religion that permeated in regular schools

I live in Texas just for clarification. The teachers had the freedom to have upfront, honest and frank discussions about sex in class. We also practiced putting a condom on a dildo! Many of my classmates were parents or soon to be parents.

[Hannah Bell]

35. there was actually a two-pronged assault, from both sides of the spectrum.

[clear eye]

38. You miss the point.

The Democrats have more people than the Republicans and were always where people turned when they wanted to get an alternative to a people-crushing corporatist agenda. It is very significant when not only the self-declared party of big business is behind destroying an institution essential to the gen'l public, but the party that is supposed to represent the people's interests is as well. It's as though the only lawyers in a trial were all for the prosecution.

The question is not whose idea it was, but who is supposed to defend the interests of the U.S. people?

Do you not see the difference between the Republicans backing a transfer of the education of almost all the country's children to direct corporate control with all the warping of content and the removal of a profit out of every budget that it incurs, and the remaining elected officials, allegedly in the opposition party, signing on to do it as well?

Well, I guess you're in good company. Pres. Obama doesn't see it either.

[starroute]

71. It's not about missing the point -- it's about seeing the root causes

When the right spends twenty years pushing a particular position, infiltrates local school boards, and even manages to convince poor black parents that charter school are the answer to their needs, it's unhelpful to blame the Democrats to buying into what is by now the most visible and widely-accepted "solution" to the problem of public school failures.

If the left had its own public policy institutes that had been turning out genuinely community-based answers to the school situation -- and the Obama administration chose to ignore them in favor of going with a free-market, privatized alternative -- you might have reason to gripe.

But for decades now the left has been about winning elections and not about coming up with serious policy proposals. This means that in far too many situations our only alternatives are either pouring more money into the status quo or accepting whatever the right has to offer.

[clear eye]

80. The "left" (better called advocates for the public) have been working in the localities

with all the players, parents, teachers, researchers, etc. to improve the public schools, and they had been improving in many places before the LNCB regs required funding to dry up for the schools in the most challenging neighborhoods b/c those schools were not getting high test scores.

If the best, most effective solution is to keep the public schools and continuing the hard work of finding the funding to shrink classes, going forward w/ the work of continuing teacher ed to keep them up-to-date on the most effective models of interaction, etc., and making every effort to involve those parents who are not already too overwhelmed to participate, it doesn't generate sexy stories about reinventing the wheel, scrapping the public schools, and starting all NEW!. It also doesn't take endless think tanks. This obsession w/ throwing everything traditional out unexamined and replacing it all w/ NEW! NEW! NEW! is a U.S. distortion.

Whenever there is an option for corporations to get a monetary cut from a social program, no matter what the side-effects, the corporate MSM is all over it, praising it. That can hardly be blamed on those guiding the public schools.

Your children aren't better off w/ a McDonald's funded education, but maybe, in the short run, McDonald's is. It seems that is all this administration is interested in.

[tonysam]

81. There is no point make apologies for Obama

HE'S the one who is singlehandedly killing public education through his appointment of a privatizer and idiot called Arne Duncan. The destruction of public education has accelerated under a "Democratic" administration.

The religious right has little to do with this. This is being backed by neoliberals and "venture philanthropists" like Bill Gates, Eli Broad, and the Walton family.

[EndersDame]

19. Proud graduate of American Youthworks Charter High School!

http://www.americanyouthworks.org/

I attended public and private school but none of them could compare to my experience at American Youthworks. The classes were small and very innovative. The teachers had more freedom in teaching as well as doing things out side of the box.We had honest, upfront and frank discussions about sex in Health (which is amazing in Texas!) ; during PE we did yoga positions and walked around the historical sites of downtown Austin . I could go on and on about how much different it was from the mills that are regular public high schools. They cater especially to "at risk" youth but several creative types who could not fit the public school mold found their way there. Perhaps the most profound program of AYW was the chance to work with Americorps. In the mornings I went to work on a low income environmentally friendly house and in the afternoon went to school! I was able to earn a paycheck (the main reason I dropped out- my family became semi homeless and I wanted to help out) for the entire day as well as give back to the community , learn skills and earn money for college.

American Youthworks also provides child care for the parents who go there!

I have never met a teacher or faculty member who was more dedicated or invested in a student's life than those who worked at AYW!


On Edit: My boyfriend's little sister goes to Katherine Anne Porter School http://kapschool.org:8080/KAPS/about.html and the neighbor's kid goes to The Anne Richards School for Young Women Leaders http://www.annrichardsschool.org/ both are pretty cool from what I hear.

[Political Heretic]

22. How much does it cost, who can get in?

[EndersDame]

23. It is Free and it is open to 16-21 year olds

They will kick your ass out if you do not want to be there

[Political Heretic]

26. There has to be some criteria for enrollment.

[EndersDame]

30. You have to be a Texas resident

When I enrolled in public high school they just checked that I lived in district and had my vaccinations. They didn't even ask for my records from my eighth grade class that I attended in a different county.When I enrolled in a private school I had to go through a rigorous interview.
I enrolled in AYW in 2004 so my memory might be a little bit foggy. We had to attend an orientation and I remember bringing my transcript from my previous school , my vaccination records, and my Texas ID.

Straight from their website:
http://www.americanyouthworks.org/enroll.htm

American YouthWorks (AYW) seeks to enroll self-motivated and responsible young people who are willing to commit to earning their high school diploma and/or to completing a term of service in our Community Service Programs.

AYW Charter High School

Eligibility Requirements
Young people, ages 16 to 21, who are Texas residents, and need a high school diploma.


Enrollment Process
Enrolling at American Youthworks is a four step process:

* Step 1: Student must attend an information meeting. Information meetings are held every Monday, except for holidays, from 4-5 PM at 1901 E Ben White Blvd 78741. For more information please call 512-744-1900.
* Step 2: Complete list of required documents (presented at the information meeting) must be turned in at the South Campus.
* Step 3: Student will meet individually with a staff member for a pre-enrollment meeting to discuss his or her diploma plan, school rules, and expectations.
* Step 4: Gear Up! Students will arrive at school for an orientation period that will last for 3- 4 days. Upon successful completion of orientation, students are enrolled as a student at American YouthWorks.

For more information contact AYW's recruiter at 512-744-1900 or recruit@americanyouthwor
AYW’s Community Service Programs
Casa Verde Builders, Environmental Corps, Computer Corps

Eligibility Requirements
Young people, ages 17 to 26, who are willing to work hard, learn a lot, have fun, and make a difference in the world!


These really are dedicated people who want to see students with diplomas ! They cater to homeless students as well and help out with vaccinations and records.

[Political Heretic]

84. I'm saying they have limited space, so what is their criteria for picking students

[clear eye]

40. Exactly, and then those kids become the responsibility of the public schools

and since they are then forcibly enrolled in a public school, when they drop out they become part of the % of failures for the public school, not American YouthWorks.

As for why your school seems so much better than what the OP describes, please see my other post below.

[EndersDame]

51. That would be valid point if AYW didnt take in a high percentage of kids who dropped out of or

kicked out of regular Austin ISD schools

[proud2BlibKansan]

45. "They will kick your ass out"

Duh. Exactly the point we have been trying to make. Instead of meeting your needs, they kick your ass out. Some of us call that giving up on kids and find the practice shameful when tax dollars are funding the school.

[EndersDame]

56. You have no idea what you are talking about AYW takes in the kids who dropped out or kicked out of

regular Austin ISD public high school. The whole school was created with a focus on "at risk" youth who have already or are about to drop out. They are a caring group of dedicated people. Just go to their website and read some of the success stories
http://www.americanyouthworks.org/

[madfloridian]

61. You are not getting the point.

You had a good experience at that school. I am sure there is nothing wrong with that school. I am talking about the privatizing of education by blaming the teachers for everything.

Charter schools are the new method for taking over what was once public education.

That school gets public money. They can not kick kids out with impunity.

[EndersDame]

67. I am sorry I missed your point

I was under the impression that most Charter schools were run by non profits like mine. I was informed otherwise. As to the whole kicking kids out it really is a last resort (but as I said before those kids had already dropped out or kicked out of traditional schools)

I wish it was the norm that each city offered several different school models to accommodate different types of students and catered to different needs and learning styles . I was surprised that my boyfriend's uber hippy mom was in favor of vouchers. She is under the impression that public schools just churn out administrators(she homeschooled and sent her kids to charter high school)!

i think in order for there to be real change the education budget and defense budget need to be switched

[madfloridian]

47. AHA! They get public taxpayer money. How can they kick kids out???

Just wondering.

[EndersDame]

52. Well alot of my class mates were kicked out of regular public high school or like me and dropped out

Some of my classmates were even sentenced to a reform school program (still part of AISD ) called the Alternative Learning Center. I don't know much about it other than it was like a prison mixed with a high school and inspired many students to drop out.

[madfloridian]

59. Public schools must provide an alternative.

Schools here can suspend for a period, but they must provide an alternative education until a certain age...not sure what that is now.

[EndersDame]

63. I think that age might be 16 which is when AYW starts accepting kids

I added on edit that a lot of my classmates were sent to a horrible place called the Alternative Learning Center(part of AISD). It was described as a prison mixed with a school (for example:if you had more than $5 it was assumed you were buying drugs.)The ALC inspired many to drop out of the school system altogether. AYW takes in alot of refugees from the public school system. They really want to see kids graduate, they make it easier for homeless students, students who have troubled families, students with drug and/or alcohol problems,pregnant students and/or parents, and students who need jobs to attend school.
Before they kicked out one of the students who was going to school with me, they tried to give him drug counseling, they went to his house, and they really did try but they could only do so much for him because he did not want to be there before they just had to let him go

[defendandprotect]

97. Proves how dangerous they consider education . . .!!!

So they did everything they could to get kids to "drop out" . . .

No one has to be forced to be educated -- everyone wants to learn --

it is this right wing approach to education which is so sickening!



:)

[EndersDame]

102. AYW took IN the kids that dropped out of AustinISD already or were kicked out

I myself dropped out of the AustinISD system and found AYW! AYW allowed me to earn my high school diploma. They had flexible schedules for students like me who had to work (my dad stopped paying child support and alimony, we were subsequently kicked out and lived out of motels.) They even worked with an Americorps program! In the morning I worked on a low income environmentally friendly house and in the afternoon I went to school.Not only did I get a paycheck, skills, and a chance to give back to my community; I also received money for college (which I am using for the classes I am starting tomorrow!)

[defendandprotect]

105. Actually, I was referring to the right wing -- GOP fear of an educated youth/public....

and the destruction they've brought to our public schools . . .

Well alot of my class mates were kicked out of regular public high school or like me and dropped out
Edited on Mon Jan-18-10 10:08 AM by EndersDame
Some of my classmates were even sentenced to a reform school program (still part of AISD ) called the Alternative Learning Center. I don't know much about it other than it was like a prison mixed with a high school and inspired many students to drop out.

Glad to hear AYW is working for you --

Best wishes --

[haele]

87. Easily - they show they're "making an effort" - whether they are or aren't

Because teaching and counseling is not really quantifiable in cases where there are emotional or learning problems, and when the kid doesn't live up to his or her "contract", they kick the kid back into the regular school district.

And they suffer from budget problems just as much as the public schools do; Charter Schools in California that are associated with school districts have been shopping around for the services they provide; the one that ended up dropping the kidlet because of her emotional issues went to the service provider contracted through a completly different school district in the state - a much smaller, rural county district - to provide their Counseling and Special Educational Support plans because the local district had stricter requirements - as it was larger, and the system here was set up to support a broader cultural and socio-economic base. Both districts had credentialed services under the state; but there were enough differences in the "philosophy of service provision" that there were major gaps that children that were appeared functional with severe problems that were less obvious could fall through.

Haele

[onpatrol98]

103. Kicking Kids Out

Sometimes students are expelled or suspended for poor behavior. For instance, bringing weapons to school or starting fights. Often some of the kids being kicked out of some schools are "acting out", because their educational foundation is such that they are not getting the material being taught. So, they sit there frustrated and start doing their own thing...which can be pretty self destructive because it's a true kick to the self esteem to be a couple of grades behind, or be in the position where you never know the right answer and don't think you ever will. In some other cases, they're acting out because of things going on in their home life.

When I did a home study for adopting, the staff mentioned students that purposely wet themselves so they wouldn't be molested. Literally, the smell of urine was the only way they could keep a "live-in" or relative from molesting them. These kids don't exist in isolation. Like many others, they're going to school everyday, also. Sitting next to kids whose toughest problem is picking out a new cell phone plan or avoiding meatloaf for dinner.

I haven't heard of many instances of children being put out for many insignificant reasons. Basically, schools need the money. "Butts in seats", is sometimes how money is allocated at that level. So, public schools will often fight to keep students in even the poorest performing districts. This also means, kids who consistently cause problems for whatever reason, may never be sent home in a public school for any reason. This would be great, but if you're a kid actually trying to learn next to a kid that knows he can do whatever he wants to you and everyone else, and he'll still be there tomorrow, it's a challenge.

Few thrive in this environment, neither the high performing nor academically challenged. Sometimes the environment is simply a recipe for disaster. I don't know how to fix it. But, it definitely needs to be fixed. I've done just about everything with my kids. I've done public school and still do. I've also done private school and I still do. I have one in both. I haven't tried homeschooling. But, I now know why people do it.

[clear eye]

39. Let me straighten out the misunderstanding.

American YouthWorks is a non-profit charitable organization. They have 100s of donors (including Oprah Winfrey), not investors expecting financial returns. This is their self-description on Twitter: "American YouthWorks is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of at-risk youth through education and green jobs training."

Here's the URL for their annual report - http://www.americanyouthworks.org/annualreport.pdf

They do terrific, very creative work, especially for kids who aren't inclined toward academic fields or the arts, (I doubt many future professors, scientists, or painters graduate from their school) and even run a health clinic for their kids, as well as the hands on jobs programs. http://www.americanyouthworks.org/

They bear absolutely no resemblance to the for-profit, we'll-get-more-of-your-kids-to-pass-the-standardized-tests-for-cheaper-if-you-outsource-to-us,-trust-us, corporations to which most states are turning over their schools.

I'm sure their teachers are treated as well or better than public school teachers are. Again this would be in complete contrast to teachers in the for-profit outfits or even most of the religious charter groups. Unlike the businesses running most of the new charters, American YouthWorks has no incentive to substitute learning the McDonald's Restaurant code of conduct over a history class. But one thing that is still the same is that if a kid's problems are so serious that they interfere w/ the kid's ability or motivation to learn in the program, they are excluded or kicked out early and become someone else's problem. That makes the charter schools appear to have a lower % of failures. They deplete the funds of the remaining public schools who have to still somehow teach the charter school rejects and handicapped kids of all varieties. But the public schools are then downrated due to their higher % of failures. Eventually if not already, public schools will be so few and so defunded that programs for tougher kids and handicapped kids will simply disappear.

[madfloridian]

49. It says it is or has a "charter" high school.

http://www.americanyouthworks.org/annualreport.pdf

About half way down the page.

[clear eye]

82. Yes, but it's not a for-profit charter school. n/t

[EndersDame]

50. About the future professors, scientists or painters remark

oddly enough my little sister is graduating from St. Edward's University this spring! She is also an American Youthworks alum!
Right now she is planning on participating in a program where she works with the Peace Corps to get credit for grad school (I am very proud of her I on the other hand am just attempting to start college) .While most AYW Alums, dont have as lofty ambitions as my little sister many do go on to attain degrees from the local community college and some go to four year universities . Like I said in the post above, a lot of creative types who dont fit the public school mold find their way there.One of my friends is working in Austin's theaters doing all set work (am at a loss for the technical term right now) and one is touring with his band.

Now to address this statement "But one thing that is still the same is that if a kid's problems are so serious that they interfere w/ the kid's ability or motivation to learn in the program, they are excluded or kicked out early and become someone else's problem. That makes the charter schools appear to have a lower % of failures. They deplete the funds of the remaining public schools who have to still somehow teach the charter school rejects and handicapped kids of all varieties."


Which would be a valid point IF AYW didn't take in a high number of kids who were already kicked out or dropped out of Austin ISD
So in reality they are taking care of the kids that Austin ISD could not reach


On edit I did not attend school with Bridgett but from their success stories page:
I consider graduating and being accepted to a university two of the most significant achievements of my life. Achievements which I honestly believe would never have transpired if I had not had the incredible encouragement and support from the staff of American YouthWorks.”

Raised in a low-income family with a history of alcohol abuse, Carmen learned early on, as she says, to “medicate myself by turning to drugs, alcohol, and self mutilation. I felt trapped within myself and because of the difficulties at home I could not focus well enough on my academics to maintain an acceptable academic standing.”

Carmen found American YouthWorks after deciding for herself to actively seek change in her life. “My change was initially inspired by the realization that I alone was responsible for the success or failure I was to encounter by confronting my future.”

“I knew where I had been but had no idea of where I wanted to go; so I explored the opportunities I saw around me.” Fortunately, Carmen found that AYW was a place full of people who supported and encouraged her. “AYW allowed me to discover my potential as an artist, a poet, a student and as a member of my community…I found freedom in expressing myself through art and poetry and I gained an inner peace by helping others.”

During her time at AYW, Carmen became editor of the school newspaper, received second place in a statewide poetry competition, showcased and sold much of her artwork in five local art shows, and helped the Computer Corps program win a $20,000 grant through her performance of a poem she wrote in front of a grant committee. Carmen also took an internship with Latinitas Magazine, a non-profit organization where, as she says, “I have the chance to work with young Hispanic girls who face daily the challenges I encountered growing up. Many of them are at risk just as I was and need strong influences in their lives to guide them.”

“My background…is one of difficult circumstances, negative influences and personal struggle to maintain a positive self-image. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue my education and for the opportunity to know such inspiring people like the counselors and staff of American YouthWorks.”

As a graduate of AYW, Carmen will soon be a freshman at the University of Texas, where she plans to study Social Work—a field she believes will allow her to “make a difference in the world by helping others help themselves.”


http://www.americanyouthworks.org/carmen.htm

[MadHound]

62. And AYW pays abysmally,

Nor do they really deal well with, if at all, with students with disabilities.

I have a friend who worked at AYW for a year, and while it can indeed be the utopian place you portray for certain students, for many, if not most teachers and staff it is hell.

[EndersDame]

65. I could only imagine what it was like for the teachers

But for us it was a pretty sweet deal.I will always be grateful for them. I think every high school should have an Americorps program though

On edit: Did your friend teach at the Downtown or South campus? The downtown campus was in my opinion better and had hippy vibe. I know that Richard Halpin is a piece of work but when it comes down to it , he really does care

[MadHound]

68. The hell wasn't from dealing with the students, but rather with the administration

And higher ups. Everything was skimped on, supplies, budgets, etc. And her salary was about a 20-25% less than what she could get paid in the underpaid school system.

She moved to the US Virgin Islands, hired in their school system and made much more there.

You sound fortunate, AYW was able to keep up appearances, so to speak. But the fact of the matter is that one of charter school's main goals is to cut the wages of teachers, wages that already undervalue and underpay teachers to begin with.

One thing that would truly help our education system is if we started valuing teachers in the manner that Japan values them. In Japan, teaching is a respected profession, on par with doctors here. Teachers are well paid, well respected in their community, and the profession attracts the best and brightest students. Here, not so much. While most teachers are absolutely wonderful, many teachers coming out of school are filled with enthusiasm and are prepared to live off of their idealism. However as the grind mounts, the bills mount, they realize that they simply can't afford to live on idealism and leave the profession.

Meanwhile, teachers are constantly bashed in this country, by the media, local, state and national. They are hammered by parents wondering why Johnny earned a B instead of an A (and some of these matters turn violent). Finally they're used as a soccer ball by the government, kicked around due to economic and political whims.

My parents were teachers, and back in the day, 30-50 years ago, at least teachers were still respected by parents and the community. They didn't have their every move questioned. Now I've got helicopter parents trying to blame me because their precious kid is having to put forth some effort.

You may have had a wonderful experience in AYW, but charter schools are not the answer. They are being used as a battering ram to knock down an already weakened public school system so that corporations can come in and raid it for profit, much as they've done in other areas of our economy. Meanwhile, most charter schools perform at a level that is on par with public schools at best, and in most cases below par.

What is being set up here is a three tier education system. Kids at the top of the socio-economic ladder will get to attend elite private schools (which will probably be funded in part by public money) where they will get the best education. Middle and working class kids will attend charter schools where their education will be run of the mill at best, but funded by public money. Public schools will be the bottom rung, underfunded and understaffed, finally stripped of their ability to provide anything but the worst quality of education. This is going to result in a stratification of our society and the dumbing down of America in general.

Is this what you want?

[EndersDame]

72. What I would like would be that the budgets for education and the military be switched

I wish it was the norm that each city offered several different school models to accommodate different types of students and catered to different needs and learning styles .

In reality there is a one sized fits all approach to public school and there are some really cool charters out there that pick up the slack. For the students at AYW AustinISD already failed them and they would not have their degrees. My neighbor's kid goes to the Anne Richards School and uses the threat of sending her back to regular school if she gets out of line!
I was under the impression that most charters were run by non profits like AYW but was informed otherwise.

I really wished we lived in a society that valued education and teachers.

[Political Heretic]

85. Ah, so its not even a corporate charter school. We're talking apples to oranges again.

Thanks for clearing that up!

[salib]

95. Yeah, marketing can be seductive

I read this part of the thread in depth and was thinking "wow, wouldn't it be cool to have my son go to a charter school like that?".

However, not to say anything about AYW, but it would certainly be easy for the for-profit schools to seduce a large number of people, just as for-profit hospitals do, and then end up with more expensive services, over-working and underpaid staff (most Catholic and other religious schools pay less than half in terms of salary and try to entice, again marketing, by offering free education for instructors children, this I know from personal experience), and worse outcomes for the same cost.

Marketing is seductive. Let's keep it out of The Commons.

[The_Casual_Observer]

20. Do all the teaching online via comcast & ATT.

No need for anymore "Brick & Mortar" schools, the materials & content can be prepared in India.

[1]

24. yes. all charters are automatically bad. and all publics are automatically good...

of course they are.

[Jax]

25. casualwatcher9 still nothing to offer but a different name

same right wing disruptive nothing posts.

[1]

27. and you with your insightful posts. always forwarding the discussion. except that you don't...

do you have anything to say about this issue?

or are you just being your usual jax self.

ha! i didn't think so...

[Jax]

29. You are right casualwatcher9. You don't think.

why the name change?

[1]

31. what is your position on charter schools?

do you have one? any thoughts? any?

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hannah Bell]

37. how do you get that from the OP? You seem to have missed the point entirely.

as did a couple of other folks here.

[JDPriestly]

36. That's the modus operandi for making profit off of government functions.

First, our military was privatized. Then our intelligence services. The Iraq War showed us how well that has worked out.

We now see a pattern.

Paying for health care was originally a private matter between you and your doctor. Then non-profit insurance companies stepped in. Then the non-profits were bought out by unscrupulous for-profit companies.

Now look where we are. For-profit insurance companies are begging for a taxpayer bail-out because they don't want to have to pay for the health care of people who can't afford their exorbitant insurance premiums (and there are more and more such people every day).

This is the pattern that will be followed with the schools.

At first, charter schools will be run as non-profits.

Then the non-profits will need more money and persuade the taxpayers that if only the schools were sold to for-profit companies, they would be better run, and think of all the investment money that would go into them. Dreams of lower taxes will be dangled in front of taxpayers' eyes.

With the help of dishonest politicians and lots of generous corporate campaign contributions, non-profit schools, those in more affluent areas where students have better learning outcomes first, will be permitted to become for-profit.

And then, just as they are dong with health care insurance, once they have pretty much taken over the whole education system, the for-profit school companies will suddenly discover that they really cannot afford to pay for the education of the freeloading poor.

Taxpayers will be asked to choose between educating children or paying higher taxes. Everyone will have forgotten that we used to get education, good education, at a much lower price.

Meanwhile, teachers will be paid very little and have no pension plans while the CEOs of the privatized schools will be earning a hundred times what the superintendents of schools earn today. No one will dare to think of lowering CEO salaries and bonuses because you wouldn't want the CEO to go to a competing school system, would you?

It's a big scam. Wall Street does it over and over. Instead of investing in building our economy and creating real jobs, it is cannibalizing our government.

I am disappointed that President Obama and the Democrats don't see this shtick for what it is. But, then, maybe they see investment opportunities for themselves.

[LittleGirl]

60. explained just like that in Naomi Klein's book

The shock doctrine.

thanks for explaining it so well here.

[seabeyond]

64. pattern. the pattern is there. i dont know why so many ignore pattern.

so consistently true. not like guessing, hoping. it is a reality. almost certain. and still, dems bought into it, blindly

[clear eye]

83. People would learn a lot if you make this comment an OP of its own.

This is exactly what is happening, and as DUer Hannah Bell said, the corporations and their symbiotic gov't enablers are also going after our Medicare, Social Security, and anything else us regular folk have that money can be wrung from. "They want it all."

Added on edit: You're on a roll these days. I've just made you a "buddy" so I won't miss any of the good stuff.

[clear eye]

90. "Instead of investing in build'g our economy and creating real jobs, it is cannibalizing our gov't."

A major reason (along w/ war) why our whole country is failing economically. And Wall St. refuses to reinvest in productive enterprises in the U.S. until our workers are willing to accept below-subsistence wages.

Our gov't should have been meeting w/ the top Wall St. execs, cajoling, threatening, and bargaining w/ them to get them to play ball and start rebuilding the economy or break up the good-for-nothing institutions until we some small enough to listen, instead of rewarding their sociopathic behavior.

On edit: That's what JFK would have done, and every DUer over 50, or w/ a decent knowledge of political history, knows it.

[PSzymeczek]

93. Charter schools here in AZ

have NEVER been run as non-profits. They take taxpayer money and want to use it to make profits. And the state government want to open 100 more of them.

[lazarus]

41. a charter school wrecked my daughter's education

We wasted 2 years trying to get an IEP done. We finally successfully sued the school district to pay for her to go to a private school for special needs (she's ADD and bipolar, a vicious combo).

Thing is, the district says the charter has to pay some of it, too. And they're refusing. They've gone so far as to give false testimony, outright lying about things that happened. Our lawyer is so furious at them she's quit charging us and is doing it pro bono just to nail these fuckers.

[NuttyFluffers]

42. if we're really clever -- start creating stealth Progressive Indoctrination charter schools

watch how fast charter schools would be repealed once the "powers that be" realize we can play the same game. private charter schools teaching from little red books (Ballantine Press or Marx's Manifesto, does it matter?) would definitely roll back any cute ideas.

but that's if you want to fight fire with fire. we could always run around screaming with outrage until we are picked off one by one...

[madfloridian]

48. Goody! Someone above said it. "They will kick your ass out if you do not want to be there"

That is what public schools can not do.

So to brag that charters can kick out asses makes a big point for my side..which is public education.

Charter schools get public money, so they better not be kicking kids out.

[madfloridian]

55. Treating parents and students as "customers" began before I retired.

One year we were told that the "customer" is always right, and we were to act accordingly. That was in the late 90s. It has gone downhill ever since.

Education can not be done that way. I love the comment by a blogger at the NYC Educator.

"Another example of the transition of students to 'customers'. The customer's always right, right? Keep the customer satisfied, no? Moreover, some parents are afraid of their kids. They have no parenting skills themselves; that's why they buy them the iPod they don't deserve or the family can't afford. Junior will rage uncontrollably unless they capitulate."

If the parent and child are always "right", then the teacher becomes a non-entity.

[LWolf]

75. "The customer is always right."

<snip>

"She told me it was his 'enjoyment,' and that I had no right to have taken it. She said she wanted to make sure he was never in my class."

Then, when that kid doesn't learn, receives poor test scores and/or poor grades, that's also the teacher's fault.

Public education is not a "business." It's a public service.

We don't need politicians and "CEOs" running things. We need educators.

[madfloridian]

77. The year they told teachers that was a big mess.

They never used those words again. I would like to know who had the bright idea. The philosophy of keep the parents and kids happy continues, but they are cautious about using the words.

[seabeyond]

58. thankfully my kids will be out before the nation totally fucks the educational system.

i have watched the attack on the public school system as the schools work harder, the kids do more and have more expected of them and always the finger is pointed at the schools.

i clearly see the education there if a student takes the opportunity. and i see parents and kids alike blaming the teachers for their own laziness.

i am continually told schools in texas does all this stuff hindering the kids education, and i see none of it in the actual education. i am continually told how poor the schools are as i watch them do an excellent job, even in the poorer areas

much of the aggression to schools came from right wing that wants to privatize schools and many of the libs, dems have fallen in lock step.

so

thankfully, my kids will make it thru, before it is all totally fucked up

[placton]

69. Wouldn't Martin Luther KIng be proud

of the Obama folks? :sarcasm:

[Overseas]

73. K&R. I strongly oppose the privatization of public education.

I am so sorry to see Democrats supporting it.

Privatization has been a failure in so many fields. I want our Democrats to oppose it. It privatizes the profits and socializes the risks.

It privatizes any corruption, rather than leaving it open to exposure in the public realm.

[PSzymeczek]

94. I believe in

Public money for public schools. Get rid of the charter schools funded with taxpayer money.

[LWolf]

74. Corporate funded grass roots.

How low can we go?

Unfortunately, I think we're going to find out over the next 3-7 years.

[madfloridian]

91. The ones involved in the grassroots don't realize what is going on.

Nor do others. I talked to a CA relative who is retired from teaching, and they were not aware of the implications or of who was forming the groups.

[LWolf]

92. How can we get the word out?

I'd like my union to do so, but they've been less than trustworthy recently.

[TransitJohn]

78. Headline news--"U.S. Congress hires KBR to run Congress"

They're hell bent on privatizing everything...they've already got most of the prison system, using the courts to feed people in to produce profit. Education appears to be at bat. What's on deck? Congress itself?

[Blue Owl]

79. sounds like some good ol' fashioned privatizin'

you know, the kind Dubya likes.

[Hello_Kitty]

86. The "my kid is too special for public school" attitude is very pervasive

And a big part of the problem, IMHO.

[rudy23]

88. The sooner we realize that Obama is a libertarian, the sooner we can deal with reality

So far, his philosophy jives more with his Milton Friedman roots at University of Chicago than anything in the ballpark of Liberalism.

[alp227]

89. What happened to the PTA or parent involvement?

California's plan is such freaking deception and just an excuse for irresponsible parents who didn't care enough.

[elleng]

101. SCHOOLS DON'T MAKE ANYONE BIG BUCKS,

and those who think they do are deluded.

[emsimon33]

106. It's all about turning the people into sheep

[NYC Educator]

107. Thanks

Thanks for the shout-out, Mad Floridian.

Things here are insane. And the President seems to be not only going right along with this program, but encouraging its replication all over. I don't think I'm gonna be able to vote for him again. Unless he attracts the Rush Limbaugh crowd, which really ought to appreciate him more, I don't see how he gets a second term.