Oregon parents use charter law to revitalize local school
Yesterday, KING 5’s Up Front show with Robert Mak had a report about what parents in Washington could do if voters pass Initiative 1240, the charter school measure.
Parents at Oregon's Sauvie Island school, 20 miles north of Portland, were worried. Student enrollment had fallen to 80 students. So in 2010 they asked their district if they could convert Sauvie Island school to a charter school. The district approved their application in January 2011 and Sauvie Island Academy opened as a charter school in September of 2011.
Today over 200 students attend Sauvie Island Academy, enough to allow the school to open a new eighth grade this fall. The principal and teachers, working as a team, selected a curriculum, Place Based Education, which teaches children by connecting them to their community and natural surroundings. Teachers chose Direct Instruction to teach reading and math skills in kindergarten through third grade.
Some schools here in Washington are also in trouble. Sauvie Island Academy charter school is an example of what parents and local communities can accomplish here to improve their schools if Initiative 1240 passes this fall.
Watch the full Up Front segment, which is only 7 minutes long:
Comments
Charters
“We’re actually making the public schools better….The problem with the public school system is it is very top down and centrally controlled….the actors in the public schools are not free to do what is best for the children…”
This is spot on at explaining what is happening in most public school districts today. The actors (the teachers) are not being allowed to solve the very problems they see up close every day. Teachers know what the real problems are and what could be done about them but there is no discussion allowed in public schools today. Central administrations organize all meetings to totally stifle any questioning of the policies they force on teachers. Innovation outside of the central office has all but been banned in public schools.
Charter schools would give freedom to both teachers and parents to do what brings results. The fears expressed by those in the film all address fears for their own loss of control. Parents have ultimate control in charter schools because they can walk if the schools aren’t doing the job. Charter schools must operate in a competitive environment and they must satisfy the customer. Public schools have a “we know better” attitude and they seldom react to those who are not satisfied.
Why are educators (at the top) so against charters? Because they know the success of charters has the potential to fundamentally change how we do education. That would bring real reform to our system instead of more of the same that the reformers really push.