Everywhere we go, the debate turns to charter schools and teachers and parents are starting to feel the impact in many parts of the city. Coalitions with various points of views are emerging, from, "charters are OK, but not in public school buildings," to "absolute opposition" to charters for numerous reasons.
Ed Notes and ICE are part of an emerging "Save Public Schools" coalition that organized the conference last Saturday. Teachers Unite, NYCORE, ISO, and TJC are also involved. We are now moving on to hold a charter school conference on April 27 and a rally on May 14. The coalition is also beginning to function as a support group for teachers and parents at schools threatened with closing or schools being shoved around by politically connected charter school operatives that steal space in public schools or lobby to have public schools closed down. (Some members of the group are meeting with a group of parents in Manhattan this week to discuss the issue.)
We've reached the bizarro stage where Eva Moskowitz, miffed that her real estate grab for publicly funded NYC school buildings went temporarily awry, incites parents in Harlem to demand the DOE close the local zoned school when the DOE rescinded its plan to close PS 241 after the NYCLU and UFT filed suit.
SIDETRACK: [I am all for the suit, but ultimately the DOE will figure out a way to force the "saved" schools into closing. This is all about real estate for charters, man. How about starving them of resources? Or putting in a lunatic Leadership Academy principal? A law suit has to be backed up by action. While the UFT might support individual school protests, it refuses to organize all the threatened schools into a force to demand the kinds of resources they need. When faced with yet another moratorium on school closings resolution, the UFT leadership removed the call for a meeting of all schools threatened with closing.]
INCOMING INFO FROM PS 241: DOE ATTEMPTS TO UNDERMINE LAWSUIT. SEE OUR FOLLOW-UP POST
In preparation for the upcoming conference on charter schools to be held in NYC on April 27, we are listing some useful resources, which I am keeping up on the side panel, where I will add additional resources (send suggestions.)
Olson Online: They don't serve the common good. They benefit some students --usually the more advantaged-- at the expense of others. Bite the bullet: get rid of school choice.More pros and cons for charters and choice
Perimeter Primate: Comparing parent education backgrounds in charter and public schools opens a window on creaming.
Charter Schools and the Attack on Public Education
LA teacher Sarah Knopp nails it.
Sara Mosle at Slate with a balanced view of KIPP
"What the Knowledge Is Power Program has yet to prove." http://www.slate.com/id/2214253/
MORE ON CHARTERS:
http://aplacetorespond.blogspot.com/2009/02/public-schools-outperform-private.html
Bloomberg to Host Charter School in Living Room
Hey Oakland, you’re being duped!
Make sure to check the side panel for updates and other important information.
Written and edited by Norm Scott: EDUCATE! ORGANIZE!! MOBILIZE!!! Three pillars of The Resistance – providing information on current ed issues, organizing activities around fighting for public education in NYC and beyond and exposing the motives behind the education deformers. We link up with bands of resisters. Nothing will change unless WE ALL GET INVOLVED IN THE STRUGGLE!
Ed Notes Extended
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Friday, April 3, 2009
1 comment:
Comments are welcome. Irrelevant and abusive comments will be deleted, as will all commercial links. Comment moderation is on, so if your comment does not appear it is because I have not been at my computer (I do not do cell phone moderating). Or because your comment is irrelevant or idiotic.
I don't think charter schools should be regarded as the enemy here. With a lot of parents opting to have their children enrolled in online schools due to state budget cuts, our attention should be focused towards good governance and public advocacy geared towards education.
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