Proposed new charter school

[klauspood.livejournal.com]

There is a proposal for a new charter school in Somerville. The state (DESE) will be reviewing the application for the next few weeks and will possibly grant the charter on February 28th. If granted this charter school will undermine the existing Somerville Public Schools by reducing school funding by nearly $5 million a year, which is almost 10% of the current school budget. This cut in funding will lead to devastating cuts in public school programs, loss of 60 -75 teachers, and potentially closure of an entire school. This would represent a huge set back for public education in Somerville, setting back much of the progress that has been made in our schools in the last 25 years.

There will be a public hearing by the DESE on this on December 14 2011 at Somerville High School. More info can be found at:

https://sites.google.com/site/progresstogetherforsomerville

http://www.thesomervillenews.com/archives/21168

http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=6532

Comments

[littlecitynames.livejournal.com]

If they're losing students, that means the proportion of special needs students in their schools will rise. Average test scores will then look lower, which drives the more affluent families away from that district, taking their tax dollars with them, so then the schools don't have as much money. It's a vicious cycle. I am not sure that will happen in this case, but it has happened in other districts around the country with charters and I'm wary.

[littlecitynames.livejournal.com]

Looking at the actual charter, I'm not sure if this school is actually going to reject students with special needs. However, it still will most likely disproportionately pull students with higher test scores, since those will be the children whose parents are pushing them harder to succeed.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Nope, it's right there in their FAQ:

"Like all charter schools, enrollment will be determined by a lottery in early March. Preference will be given to Somerville residents, though all Massachusetts residents may apply. Within each of these larger groups, the lottery will be entirely random with no student receiving any advantage."

Now, I think this is a crock, myself, but if that's the way it's supposed to be run, how the hell is this going to do anything except privilege the lucky few and screw the rest by depriving them of resources?

[littlecitynames.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, it will be a lottery... but the parents who are more invested in their children's success are more likely to enter the lottery, so odds are there will be some disproportionality in the population.