Engelman's Response to Darby's Op-Ed

Just in case you refuse to subscribe to the P & C or choose not to let your blood pressure rise by looking at its editorial pages, Tuesday's edition prints a letter from CCSD School Board member David Engelman concerning the Rev. Darby's op-ed piece that appeared a couple of weeks ago. I responded in a post on February 1st. [See "First Take the Log out of Your Own Eye"]

Here's a copy of Engelman's letter.

In his Feb. 1 column, the Rev. Joseph A. Darby speaks to various aspects of the Charleston Charter School for Math & Science and notably, Rep. Chip Limehouse's bill regarding charging rent to the school and the issue of diversity. In the column, Rev. Darby refers to recent coverage of the school as an "unprecedented wave of positive reporting," implying that the coverage has been less than balanced. Might it be that the only negative comments about the school have come from but one source?

Rev. Darby stated, "It should be noted that should Mr. Limehouse's legislation pass, the result would be an unmitigated disaster for public education in South Carolina." I would point out that public education in South Carolina achieved the level of "disaster" long before the concept of charter schools came into play. In fact, charter schools are an effort to mitigate that reality.

Rev. Darby adds, "School districts that are already stretching scarce dollars to build and equip traditional public schools would be required to stretch them even farther to cater to charter schools ..."

My idea of stretching scarce dollars is not found in spending the taxpayers' $175 million bond referendum on three schools costing $40 million , $50 million and $65 million. And it will not be found in paying a public relations firm's $80K fee, or in spending $77K on a facilitator to lead public discussions on the use of Rivers High School. It won't be found in paying $600K a year in legal fees, or $2 million a year for vacuuming leaves, or $5 million on the failed Edison project. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Why all the fuss about a charter school's diversity? By law, diversity is already defined in a charter school's charter. You will find diversity at James Island Charter High School — in its student body and on its board. You will find diversity at Orange Grove Elementary Charter School as well. You will not find diversity at any of the public schools on peninsular Charleston. And I never hear any complaints about that from the Rev. Darby. Nobody seems upset about that.

So I have to ask: What is the real motivation behind this negativity toward an effort that will actually achieve diversity in a peninsular public school? Could it be that the negatives about the charter school are based on something other than genuine concern for diversity or the state of public education? Is it about control, or the loss of it?

Couldn't have said it better.