I am very distressed at the foot-dragging by the School Board in getting the money committed to open the Patrick Henry charter school this August. This has been going on for more than a year, and the parents have done as much as they can to answer the objections and stumbling blocks presented by the School Board – it’s time for the Board to step up and do the right thing. My granddaughter is currently enrolled, but may not ever be able to attend. If the charter school does not open in time, my daughter will be forced to move out of the city in search of a safe and academically stimulating school for my granddaughter, and that will be the end of her eligibility for Patrick Henry. This is a terrible situation, and it is totally wrong of the School Board to abuse the chances of children for a good education in this shoddy manner.
If the charter school does not open in time, my daughter will be forced to move out of the city in search of a safe and academically stimulating school for my granddaughter
If I may be so bold: which school would your granddaughter attend were she to attend her regularly zoned school?
Last year one of the most comprehensive studies, by researchers from Stanford University, found that fewer than one-fifth of charter schools nationally offered a better education than comparable local schools, almost half offered an equivalent education and more than a third, 37 percent, were “significantly worse.”
If the Charter school does not open please keep in mind that Richmond has some wonderful schools. My children attend Fisher Elem. It is a wonderful school and a hidden gem in Richmond. So please look into other options before you move.
I don’t have a dog in this hunt, but isn’t it highly likely that the 20 percent of charter schools that DO offer a superior education are located in school systems that are comparable to that of Richmond’s?
#7: The data’s all here, broken down by state studied: http://credo.stanford.edu/. DC might be the most similar comparison- charters were found to be “similar” and “little different” compared with public schools.
#6: Clearly this is a moot point regarding Richmond, since we’ve been told, often on these very pages, that Richmond schools are academically non-challenging, unsafe and generally worthless and thus PH, despite not yet being open, is clearly a FAR superior choice to any existing option.
Area Man, there may have been some comments that were critical of RPS but the major contributor to this blog (myself & Page) have been and will continue to be supportive of RPS and never even hinted at them being “academically non-challenging, unsafe and generally worthless”.
And our child IS in a Richmond Public School that we consider very good. What’s wrong with providing another good option? What’s wrong with folks wanting to try different approaches from the other schools? It’s not just another RPS school reopening.
One of the distinguishing factors in successful vs. non-successful charter schools, according to the research, is parental involvement. Where parents are involved, children thrive. Parents don’t have to be Ph.D.’s They do have to create an environment where children are challenged and learning is reinforced, 24 hours a day. Will PH be successful? Who knows. What we do know is that the PH parents are willing to put their own money and their own children on the table to make it work. How can you not support that?
#9: Nobody is suggesting such, just that the option placed before my eyes doesn’t strike me as better, especially for the city as a whole.
PH might* be better for a handful of children, but it’s not going to help the vast majority of RPS students.
*Since I’ve yet to see any faculty announcements or even any curriculum materials beyond vague concepts (many of which are being taught in RPS elementary schools as we speak), might may even be generous.
Richard, the comments, such as Ms. Hutchinson’s above, reflect the thoughts of the community, do they not? And Page, you want a different approach? How about we stand behind our existing schools and improve them, rather than adding another underenrolled school that will just siphon money and resources off the rest?
#12- I agree that parental involvement is key- look what it’s done for Munford, Fox, Southampton, Holton… But when other elementary schools have to offer food at PTA meetings and still get single-digit attendance, that tells me that, for all the hue and cry, many parents won’t or simply can’t get involved. I suspect PH will siphon off some of those who are already involved, which might make for happy feel-good time at PH, but doesn’t do much for the rest of the kids, does it?
In my opinion Ms. Hutchinson’s comments reflect one person thoughts on RPS not the community as a whole. The discussion on this issue continues to go in circles and I realize we will never see eye to eye, so I’ll just respectfully disagree on whether PH is a good thing or not. Regardless of what ultimately happens I will continue to do what I think is best by being active in whichever RPS school my child attends.
I am very distressed at the foot-dragging by the School Board in getting the money committed to open the Patrick Henry charter school this August. This has been going on for more than a year, and the parents have done as much as they can to answer the objections and stumbling blocks presented by the School Board – it’s time for the Board to step up and do the right thing. My granddaughter is currently enrolled, but may not ever be able to attend. If the charter school does not open in time, my daughter will be forced to move out of the city in search of a safe and academically stimulating school for my granddaughter, and that will be the end of her eligibility for Patrick Henry. This is a terrible situation, and it is totally wrong of the School Board to abuse the chances of children for a good education in this shoddy manner.
If I may be so bold: which school would your granddaughter attend were she to attend her regularly zoned school?
New York Times Sunday had a very long piece on charter schools nationally. Worth a read.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/education/02charters.html
If the Charter school does not open please keep in mind that Richmond has some wonderful schools. My children attend Fisher Elem. It is a wonderful school and a hidden gem in Richmond. So please look into other options before you move.
How to define “comparable local schools” looks like the discussion point.
Re:#4
I don’t have a dog in this hunt, but isn’t it highly likely that the 20 percent of charter schools that DO offer a superior education are located in school systems that are comparable to that of Richmond’s?
#7: The data’s all here, broken down by state studied: http://credo.stanford.edu/. DC might be the most similar comparison- charters were found to be “similar” and “little different” compared with public schools.
#6: Clearly this is a moot point regarding Richmond, since we’ve been told, often on these very pages, that Richmond schools are academically non-challenging, unsafe and generally worthless and thus PH, despite not yet being open, is clearly a FAR superior choice to any existing option.
Area Man has convinced me. Let’s stop trying to make things better.
Area Man, there may have been some comments that were critical of RPS but the major contributor to this blog (myself & Page) have been and will continue to be supportive of RPS and never even hinted at them being “academically non-challenging, unsafe and generally worthless”.
And our child IS in a Richmond Public School that we consider very good. What’s wrong with providing another good option? What’s wrong with folks wanting to try different approaches from the other schools? It’s not just another RPS school reopening.
One of the distinguishing factors in successful vs. non-successful charter schools, according to the research, is parental involvement. Where parents are involved, children thrive. Parents don’t have to be Ph.D.’s They do have to create an environment where children are challenged and learning is reinforced, 24 hours a day. Will PH be successful? Who knows. What we do know is that the PH parents are willing to put their own money and their own children on the table to make it work. How can you not support that?
#9: Nobody is suggesting such, just that the option placed before my eyes doesn’t strike me as better, especially for the city as a whole.
PH might* be better for a handful of children, but it’s not going to help the vast majority of RPS students.
*Since I’ve yet to see any faculty announcements or even any curriculum materials beyond vague concepts (many of which are being taught in RPS elementary schools as we speak), might may even be generous.
Richard, the comments, such as Ms. Hutchinson’s above, reflect the thoughts of the community, do they not? And Page, you want a different approach? How about we stand behind our existing schools and improve them, rather than adding another underenrolled school that will just siphon money and resources off the rest?
#12- I agree that parental involvement is key- look what it’s done for Munford, Fox, Southampton, Holton… But when other elementary schools have to offer food at PTA meetings and still get single-digit attendance, that tells me that, for all the hue and cry, many parents won’t or simply can’t get involved. I suspect PH will siphon off some of those who are already involved, which might make for happy feel-good time at PH, but doesn’t do much for the rest of the kids, does it?
In my opinion Ms. Hutchinson’s comments reflect one person thoughts on RPS not the community as a whole. The discussion on this issue continues to go in circles and I realize we will never see eye to eye, so I’ll just respectfully disagree on whether PH is a good thing or not. Regardless of what ultimately happens I will continue to do what I think is best by being active in whichever RPS school my child attends.