For those of you who are unhappy with the way that the current state of education has sucked the learning out of the model, consider starting your own independent school.  Click on the picture to the left and you can download a PDF that walks you through everything you need to know in order to start one. While it is not simple, it is certainly something that a group of people could manage. With all the parents who live on the school site helping make public schools far better despite the internal policies, I would think that getting a group together to discuss this plan would be easier than you might think.  The PDF details opening a charter school (which keeps you pinned to the school district, although you do get some benefit by that) and also starting a totally independent school. After reading the document, I thought that the latter made more sense, especially in light with the current financial situation of the state and district right now that shows little hope of a rapid improvement. In my opinion, an independent school run by a site council comprised of parents (as administrators), parents (as parents), teachers, investors, and others, would make for a strong body of central authority for a local community school. Of course there are questions about how to handle grade levels, whether a one room schoolhouse approach could work, whether you would need a variety of classes or whether you streamlined into a home-school approach to curriculum mixed with a more traditional open book approach. These are details that would have to be solved before you could get anywhere. And make no mistake that this would be a slow process - there is a lot of planning that needs to take place. And so, on this Friday, offered to you for some weekend reading. I will continue to present some alternatives to the traditional structure in place and I maintain that a community centered school system is the direction for the future. Download the plan HERE Read more information HERE MisterWriter |
Friday, June 5, 2009
DON'T LIKE THE CURRENT EDUCATION SYSTEM? WHY NOT START YOUR OWN SCHOOL?
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13 comments:
Why open a new school? Why not just enroll in an existing private school? There are lots around. There must be one that fits your particular idea of good education.
If raising money for a private school is an issue, why not do what lots of other people have done. Make the government (aka all of us other tax payers) pay for it by calling it a "charter" school.
The Ecole Bilingue (French American School) in Berkeley was started in an old train depot with a very small group of parents wanting a better and bilingual education system for their children. It is now one of the best private schools in the east Bay. Check out their website EBFAS. Great Idea Mr. Writer
Mister Writer If they are closing a couple of schools perhaps the buildings will be for rent.
Open a charter school and you won't have to pay rent for one of those soon-to-be-vacant schools. State law REQUIRES school districts to provide facilities for charter schools for free!
Unless you want to open a religiously-based school, I don't see why anyone would open a private school. A bunch of parents in Clayton and Concord wanted to open a Montessori elementary school a few years ago, but they didn't want to pay for it. So they opened it as a charter school. The state gives them the money to operate. MDUSD had to provide facilities for them, so they built them a new school on district property next to Northgate HS. They have their own governing board and can pretty much do whatever they want. They even guaranteed admission to the children of founding families and staff.
Why spend your own money when you can feed at the government trough for free?
Charter schools operate affiliated with the district and have to meet certain criteria, some under district purview. To be independent means that your organization runs the show.
lorrielovesparties: I will check it out. I like hearing about success stories. Thanks.
There is an interesting article in the New York Times today about someone who is opening a new school. He is testing out his belief that what makes a good school is good teachers. He searched the country to put together a "dream team" of teachers and is paying them $125,000 each. The school is set in a low income Hispanic neighborhood. It is set to open for 5th graders and plans to expand to go through 8th grade. The founder is providing money for facilities. The government is picking up the rest of the tab. Check out these teachers. They do sound fantastic.
Here's the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/education/05charter.html?hpw
I'm not much of a computer person, so I hope I got the link right.
So what do you think? Is this school on the right track?
Looks like I messed up the New York Times link. Maybe MisterWriter can post the link correctly.
Anon:
The link worked for me, but you can click it HEREif not.
The school is the The Equity Project and is sound in its intent although I think $125,000 may be a fancy attention getting amount and not indicative of teacher salaries by a long shot.
It will be interesting to see what comes of their school, although I suspect the same thing can be achieved for much less. It is more about respect and allowing good teachers to shine that will make a school work. This can be done at the poorest of schools as much as at more affluent ones. And I say that with some experience.
Thanks for the posting. I will keep tabs on them.
A few years ago some teachers and parents in Antioch started The Learner Centered School (TLCS) charter school. First renting space in a church, then placing portables on the county fairgrounds, the school now has a beautiful campus on Hacienda Way.
Along the way the name was changed to The Antioch Charter Academy. http://www.antiochcharteracademy.org/page/page/2958707.htm
Two of my kids attended. One from the very first day. Parents were a very large part of the educational experience. It was awesome and empowering to help grow and design this school.
I highly recommend charter schools.
teri
http://teristoddard.org
http://jugsforjustice.org
http://sharedparentingworks.org
http://singleparentssupport.ning.com
http://examiner.com/x-6741-SF-Family-Examiner
Thanks, Andre. This is a great discussion as many people are finally waking up to the fact that we need a separation of government and education. Except in the very direst situations Government ought not run schools. We can see the results thoughout California.
I recommend people look into the Contra Costa Christian Schools, as a possible alternative. If you want to talk to Superintendent, B,J, Huizenga, or Academic Dean, Grant Padmos (for grades 6-12), let me know, I'd be happy to introduce you.
It might also be instructive to look at the way some of these schools are governed and how they enfold parents in their mission in comparison to the government run schools bound by over 2,000 pages of regulations in Sacramento.
There is a very long and successful history in the United States of government running schools. Up until the mid 1970's, California's education system was the envy of the country. What changed? Proposition 13. California's schools today are an example of what happens if you don't adequately fund education.
"... long and successful history in the United States of government running schools..."
It is not who runs the schools but how they are run. Over time the infiltration of political agendas into the education process has usurped the outcomes, all in the name of progress. Prop 13 did its damage to be sure; however the pot was already an ill-mix by that point.
Gone are the days of some vague idea as to what schooling should be about. There is a war going on out there as to which country will be leading in commerce, in production and in the creation of jobs and ideals to further the society. Other countries are already out learning and out pacing us. To think otherwise is blindness.
Whatever the reasons for the mess, it is time to stop. We have the opportunity to still right the wrong. Simply slapping a bandage on it will do nothing but extend the issue to a point further along, by which time it may well be too late to make any difference at all.
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