Yesterday, our school board, and in particular my fellow board member (who previously served on the board of a local charter school board) and I, were declared “hostile” to charter schools or “high quality” schools by an out-of-town organization. This organization flew in national speakers to rally a crowd of protesters at MNPS that they bused in for the occasion. This was a curious declaration, given the voting record of our current board and the excellent history MNPS has demonstrated of approving and managing good charter schools. Since my election last year, six charter schools have come before the board for approval. I voted to approve four of the six. I voted to deny the first charter school application because our board was ordered to ensure that this school provided a sufficient diversity plan, and in my opinion, it did not. This school had no real history of serving poor children, different races, special needs students, or English learners. This school, which would have been located in an affluent, predominately white area of Nashville, also refused to offer transportation beyond two years to children who could not have attended the school otherwise. Finally, this school charged high prices for lunches, books and other necessities, which would have prohibited most MNPS students from attending the school. I voted to deny our most recent charter school application because we have learned that charter school costs are rapidly driving up our district costs. I believe that the cost of charter schools, which this year will serve only 5% of our student population, has or will begin to impact the schools that serve the other 95% of our students. I also believe it is fiscally irresponsible to continue to approve new schools until we have determined how we plan to pay for them. While we may be able to shave off some of our district expenses, I think it will be difficult to shave off the tens of million dollars per year necessary to sustain our current charter growth without damaging the operations of our school system, but this is something to discuss and work out before moving forward. For those who doubt the financial realities of our current situation, take a brief look at what is happening in NY, Chicago and Philadelphia. That is exactly where we are heading if we don’t exercise caution. To turn this discussion into a racially-charged attack on MNPS was a terrible act and offends me deeply. According to news coverage, speakers at yesterday’s rally implied that many of us have exercised school choice by fleeing the city. In response, I think it’s important to share my own story. My family moved from East Nashville several years ago because I wanted to live outside the city. We left a school zone that would have placed us in the number one school in Nashville for both growth and achievement, according to the latest Rewards Schools list. We moved to a zone for a Title I school that had a notably low rating on school rating sites. However, instead of choosing another school or opting for private school, we invested in our zoned option, which is also our neighborhood school. My children now attend a very diverse school that serves children from over twenty different countries, many of whom are English learners, as well as a large special needs population. My neighbors and I have worked hard to support this school. Our school, which in truth was a good school to start despite negative public perception, has continually improved. The level of devotion exhibited by parents to the school has been truly exemplary. I have watched parents endure many late nights, volunteer twice or more weekly for even the most menial tasks, and fill various needs with no expectation of acknowledgment. I myself spent two long, hot summers hand-watering 20 new trees planted on school grounds (with buckets that I transported in my car!), which I accepted as donations without much foresight. These types of things happen in schools throughout our city every day. So to the organizers of yesterday’s event who tried to turn our board’s thoughtful recent vote into a political circus, I have little to say. But to the parents who were willing to show up and endure the sweltering midday heat, I say this: We are fighting for the same thing. I am fighting to ensure we don’t leave any children behind. If we are not careful, we will create a tiered educational system that provides children with engaged parents and children with means an excellent education, while leaving behind the most challenging to educate children, often disadvantaged children with the greatest needs. The children whose parents are not inclined to exercise school choice or who are incapable of exercising effective choice have every right to a same quality education as any other child. We must ensure that the zoned schools that serve these children are as fully funded and supported as any other school. To me, this is the crux of the current conversation. We must move away from politically and racially charged discussions to address the question of how to effectively support our entire system, a system that sustains all of our schools- charter and traditional schools alike. Surely, every child in our system is worth it.
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 13:08:34 +0000
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