Falls in the same category of news as "Sun rises in east." Ditto on the 6-3 vote. [See Board to Appeal Charter Ruling in Tuesday's P&C.]
The Board majority seems to have also written the article.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
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17 comments:
"... and school board members want the courts to tell them what exactly the local law means in terms of what they must give to charter schools."
An appeals court is highly unlikely to do this. I've read the ruling, and as far as I can see, the issue to be appealed boils down to: "Is this law constitutional?"
I doubt the Supreme Court/Appeals Court is going to say, "This means you have to supply X, Y, and Z to charter schools."
If anyone wants to let the Charleston County Legislative Delegation know what they think of Nancy McGinley and the school board's expensive efforts to stop charter schools, consider this. The delegation's next meeting will be held at Orange Grove Charter Elementary School on Monday, February 22, beginning at 6:00 pm. This is a regular meeting of the legislative delegation and is designed to let members of the public meet with their representatives in Columbia. This is an opportunity since it comes just over a month after the legislature convened, a month before they settle into the state budget debate and at the start of an election year.
As most people known charter schools were created by the SC legislature. SC also has a fairly conservative charter school law that maintains minimum standards that are often higher than non-charter schools. The law also guarantees access to all students, unlike the county's magnet schools. Any changes to the law will also have to come out of the legislature. The Charleston County delegation needs to hear what voters think.
This voter is willing to call CCSD's bluff about how much charter public schools are costing non-charter public schools. The truth is CCSD is spending its funding like drunken sailors on administrative perks and top heavy management practices that have little or no positive impact on what is being taught in the classroom.
The little known secret is that charter schools are actually saving CCSD money (that is if CCSD would stop bringing law suits against them). At present CCSD pays for everything from soup to nuts at non-charter schools...like rifle ranges at West Ashley High, the stand alone SAIL program at Buist or the massive band program at Wando High. Then there's the co-op agreement with Trident Tech to offer college courses for dual credit at Wando. (Wasn't that program promised to Burke? Oh well it was just another CCSD promise.)
Charter schools, with few exceptions, are forced to pay for their own utilities, maintenance, bus services, sports and after school programs. James Island Charter High does offer a dual credit nursing program that ends with a high school diploma and state certification. Garrett offers something similar, but graduates aren't certified. James Island Charter hires a college instructor who is certified in nursing while Garrett can only employ a high school teacher who is not nursing certified. That's the flexibility of charter schools. They can choose to pay a specialist to teach a special course when there is a demand from parents and students.
In many cases charter also pay rent. No one knows how much CCSD is paying to keep so many of its empty and shuttered schools running with utilities, security and maintenance costs. It told the public how much it would save if the board allowed the superintendent to close schools like McClellanville Middle, Schroder and Fraser, but they didn't tell us what the daily costs would be to move those students and to run those closed schools even if they housed no students. Why not lend these properties to charter schools? Of course not, that would make too much sense...and be like supporting charter schools.
CCSD should be greatful it isn't paying for all those little darlings attending charter schools who might want to take full advantage of what CCSD is offering some of its most privilaged students at certain special schools.
Given the pro-active nature of charter school parents they can rest assured these services would be demanded. Perhaps the legislative delegation needs to know what pro-active charter school parents think of CCSD's attempts to obstruct legal and logical school choice.
How's that Charleston Math and Science doin'?
over 170 atudents tried to get in for the 2010 6th grade...their were only 40 spots and 23 of those went to siblings.
So a full 60ish% of spots went to those with ins?
How's the principal doing?
The principal, Mr. Coldwell, resigned. Letters were mailed out to parents and they are looking for an interim.
Why has his resignation not been made public since ultimately, his salary is publicly funded? As a Charleston County taxpayer, I'd like to know why there has been a hush-hush over it?
Hmm...are we hiding anything?
The leadership change at CCSMS was reported to parents by the school's elected board of trustees as soon as it happened. They have had an interim head of the school in place from the moment Mr. Coldwell resigned. The school's board of trustees is in the process of securing an interim principal to serve out the remained of the school year. The board has also engaged a professional team of charter school leaders to seek applications to fill the position of principal at this school which is already gaining a regional and national profile. Leadership changes are a typical part of the growing pains of a new school and especially for one that is moving forward.
As for next year's enrollment, the number of applicants may very well reflect the high demand within the community for a successful school like this. I don't think too many of cynics have requested applications to attend CCSMS. That's just as well. Those who have applied believe the process is more transparent and fair than any application process or lottery run by the county school district.
Too bad the county school system isn't encouraging the development of more charter schools like this. CCSD might clean up its reputation for inequity and unfairness if it did.
I'm not sure were the figures about siblings are coming from and there are more than 40 seats being added for the 2010-11 school year. If there are doubts about access, check with the school because it information has been circulated among parents about existing openings in the upper grades. These openings remain because the high school will continue to expand next year to include 11th grade for the first time. The original expansion plan called for additional seats to be added to the lower grades as the high school was phased in with the 12th and final grade to be added in August 2011.
I doubt if 60% of the school's enrollment is made up of siblings. Even if it were, what a positive vote of confidence that would be from the parents who are so involved with the development of this community based charter school. Now if the Charleston County School District would get off its duff and get the main building renovated as it has promised the community for nearly 10 years, the Charleston Charter School for Math and Science could make good use of this historic high school. It could also serve as many as 700 students in grades 6 thru 12 instead of the 400 or so students that currently must occupy leased trailers in the backyard.
Now that would save the school district a lot of money, but they don't want to talk about how public charter schools like this one are really saving the school district money in the long run. Or as Nancy McGinley and her entourage would have it, "We've already formed our opinions, so please don't confuse us with the facts."
The point is, a resignation of this magnitude should be reported to the ultimate benefactors of the school, the Charleston County taxpayers.
Or are you privately funded?
Don't the taxpayers have a right to know what is going on at the school?
The information about David Colwell's resignation is posted on the school's publicly available website.
That's hardly hush-hush.
What the posters are complaining about is the failure of the P&C to report it, perhaps explained because it has received no press release from CCSD.
I don't know - a principal's resignation just doesn't sound like big news to me. I'm sure it's big news to the individual school community, but to me as a taxpayer? Not particularly. Does the P&C write an article every time a principal leaves?
From what I have heard from people who work for the district is that, Mr. Colwell did not simply resign, but that it was under severe duress.
That, if true, deserves more attention from the local press.
More high profile resignations of the sort at Burke, Morningside and Brentwood have gotten more press from Diette Courege, including Wanda Marshall who also resigned under duress. So those ARE newsworthy, but Mr. Colwell's is NOT?
Perhaps, Ms. Courege is not so inclined because she is not unbiased since this is a charter school?
I don't think Diette Courege cares one way or the other about this charter school. However, she does tend to react to an issue whenever CCSD or its hangers-on react to a potential issue.
Mr. Colwell resigned for personal reasons according to a message to parents. Unless there is another obvious reason hanging around (and there isn't), that's all we are entitled to know (or need to know). His past record shows that he has been a very capable principal. He brought a level of recognition to this school and now the Math & Science Charter School moves to a higher level.
McGinley's musical chairs is an issue that is part of a bigger story that has covered more than just one school. Sure it's stressfull being a principal almost anywhere, but there is very little cover for anyone choosing to stand at the head of a charter school in Charleston County. So being a charter school principal can be much more stressfull. Yep, I would probably say a charter school principal in Charleston County is operating under duress. Show me one who isn't. Most of that duress is generated unnecessarily by CCSD.
For what it is worth, I think Mr. Colwell has been dealing with aging parents. He lost his father recently and his mother is close to 90 years old.
That comment is worth a lot. Thanks. I trust it will allow the debate to move on to more substantive issues regarding public education in Charleston County. There has been too much to distract us in the personality department as it is.
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