Heres why charter schools are a fresh start for troubled York schools: James Paul PennLive Op-Ed By PennLive Op-Ed on January 22, 2015 at 1:00 PM, updated January 22, 2015 at 1:01 PM View/Post Comments By James Paul The future of public education in York City has reached a fork in the road, and the consequences of a wrong turn could hardly be greater for York students. One approach is to stubbornly double down on a system thats earned York City School District infamy as the second-worst performing district in Pennsylvania. The other option is to forge a new path—under new management—and make a fresh start. As fate would have it, Gov. Tom Wolf—will have the chance to provide that fresh start for students and families in York City. But it will require standing up to Pennsylvanias largest, most powerful teachers unions, many of which heavily contributed to his election campaign. At stake is whether York City will become the first district in Pennsylvania exclusively managed by a charter school operator. In late December, it appeared as though the district would enter receivership—paving the way for a state appointee to assume authority from the school board and create a partnership with Charter Schools USA. Things changed last week, however, when Judge Stephen Linebaugh agreed to hear an appeal from the school district. Ultimately, this means the Wolf administration will have to take up the fight to rescue Yorks floundering schools. How did York City find itself in this position, and why is the state taking such drastic measures? In 2012, the Pennsylvania Department of Education decreed that the citys schools were in moderate financial distress. This led to the appointment of a chief recovery officer, David Meckley, to work with school board to develop and implement a recovery plan. At each stage of the recovery process Meckley offered moderated solutions, but he was consistently rebuffed by those invested in the current system—namely the districts school board and local teachers union. Meckley originally suggested a series of internal improvements that required cost savings and academic progress. The school board and the teachers union agreed to this approach, but success hinged on the York City Education Association)—an affiliate of the National Education Association—making reasonable concessions in a new collective bargaining agreement. Reasonable concessions proved too much to ask. The union rejected a contract proposal last June, which prompted Meckley to solicit applications from charter operators. Rather than seeking complete charter conversion, Meckley floated an intriguing compromise in which charters would compete alongside traditional district schools. The school board quickly rejected this proposal, as well, without offering an alternative. They did, however, approve a generous new labor contract with the union that failed to achieve the necessary cost savings and violated terms of the recovery plan. It was at this point that the Education Department—seeking to overcome two years of gridlock—petitioned the court for receivership. Complete charter conversion was always viewed as the last resort, but it is now a necessary course of action for parents and students trapped in a cycle of hopelessness. In 2013, York City ranked 499th out of 500 Pennsylvania school districts in academic performance. SAT scores in the districts high school are well below average in both math and reading. Standardized test results are not only stagnant, but they lag behind average scores of low-income students across the state. Defenders of the status quo vociferously object to the prospect of a for-profit entity assuming control of district schools, but they present few—if any—viable solutions to improve academic performance. What do charter schools truly offer students in York City? Not a silver bullet, mind you, but hope. CSUSA was chosen from among seven charter applicants because of their track record of turning around struggling schools. A contract with CSUSA would mandate improved classroom performance as a condition to continue serving the community. In other words, they must show results or theyll be fired. This level of accountability has never before been applied to a Pennsylvania school district. Thats a threat to the districts entrenched interests, but its a long overdue ray of hope for York City students. Its unclear when a final decision will be reached—the appeal process could take months—but this much is certain: One of Tom Wolfs first major decisions as governor will take place in York, with thousands of academic futures hanging in the balance. pennlive/opinion/2015/01/heres_why_charter_schools_will.html#incart_river
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 02:24:34 +0000
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