Should charter schools run an entire public school district?

[Redfairen]

Has this been done anywhere else? The article says the arrangement would be the first of its kind in the state of Texas.


http://blog.chron.com/k12zone/2013/03/charter-schools-make-pitch-to-run-north-forest-isd/

In a potentially groundbreaking move, three of Houston’s top-performing charter schools are making a pitch to run the long-troubled North Forest school district.

The charter groups — KIPP, YES Prep and Harmony — are asking Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams to approve their plan, instead of having the Houston Independent School District take over North Forest ISD, KIPP co-founder Mike Feinberg confirmed Friday. The idea is still in the developmental stage, but the North Forest school board unanimously signed off on the concept Thursday night, said board president Charles Taylor Sr.

Williams ordered the annexation of North Forest into HISD last month after the former state education commissioner gave the district a one-year reprieve from closure. North Forest has long suffered academic and financial problems.

Under the plan, Feinberg said, the school board would collect taxes, but the charter schools and a nonprofit management group would run the district with power over spending, hiring and other decisions.

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. Should BP run the Environmental Protection Agency?

It is the victory of Capitalism.

[2pooped2pop]

2. sure, then when they fail,it will be so much easier

to switch to internet schools as the main venue of education. Murdock and the rich are hoping for this. They have the software you will be forced to buy to teach your kids on the net yourself, ready to go.

After all, who wants taxes to have to pay for a bunch of poor kids to go to school when we all know they will end up leaving the privatized schools, traveling through our two tiered legal system, and landing promptly on their asses in the privatized prison system.

Republican plans coming to light. They don't care who lives or dies as long as they find a way to get money for it.

[duffyduff]

3. Which of course would lead to a society of sociopaths

since kids would not know how to interact with others or understand their place in the world outside of the home.

Education is a lot more than delivering academic content.

[2pooped2pop]

4. yep, but they don't care

the rich kids will still be able to buy a good education. We no longer count. We will be used to fill their for profit prisons, as fodder for their wars, and as near slave labor as you can get for their corporations.

They either haven't figured out who will be left to buy their product or plan to sell to other countries.

This is our future if we don't stop the rich.

[Downwinder]

5. If that is what it takes to get enough money to operate.

They should be required to meet all of the public school requirements and have the same monitoring.

[erinlough]

6. Muskegon Heights Public school was given to a charter in Michigan.

Including all the furnishings, buildings, books and computers that public tax dollars paid for. Have to love the creativity of the Emergency Manager law in Michigan (not). One move destroys democracy, destroys both unions and public schools and to the privateers go the spoils. Oh, they don't care if the charters do a good job, there is no oversite.

[Starry Messenger]

7. That makes me sick.

Just ill.

[reteachinwi]

8. Hedge fund managers view school privatization as the new profit center.

The analogy is what happened when health insurance went private and for profit in the 1980's. So, no, charter schools should be made public again if you care about kids.

http://dianeravitch.net/2012/11/07/why-do-hedge-fund-managers-love-charters/

[HiPointDem]

9. no. and yes.

here's the money shot:

the school board would collect taxes, but the charter schools and a nonprofit management group would run the district with power over spending, hiring and other decisions.

= Your local taxes going DIRECTLY to private entities.

Freedom!!!!

fascism, actually.