This is what happens when an entrenched school system becomes and remains unresponsive to viable progressive change -- they experience viable progressive competition.

Please take this opportunity to read it and weep:

The Herald Bulletin - Charter school seeks zoning at former Westvale Elementary:

http://www.theheraldbulletin.c...story_275185948.html

Expect an outcry from the entrenched power-sitters to exclaim about how much more funding will be leaving ACS and following students to this new location.

And all this on the heels of ACS's projected 11 million dollar shortfall.

Soon I shall get to use "tears aplenty" and "cry me a river" all in the same sentence.

...and use it I shall.

Are you going to just sit back and watch...while you use those phrases, or are you going to pitch in and help come up with a solution to the problems?

Your post bleeds through the spaces between each letter a relative presumptuousness that, at the very least, is wrong.

You presume that I am not involved, but I am. It’s just that I do not post about it. Suffice it to say that on an almost daily basis I attempt to do something that makes ACS a better institution.

C l a s s structure is the premier problem at ACS, and until that issue is resolved, nothing that you or I do will make a bit of difference.

C l a s s structure is something that can be revised even if the parents are not involved.

I feel so sorry for those who come to school for an education, and are not allowed to receive one due to c l a s s structure...

The schools with the worse c l a s s structure are the ones with the lowest ISTEP scores.

Since ACS will not address this issue honestly, they do indeed deserve all the competition they get...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: OldWiseOne,

I am all good with. I wish the best to the charter schools I want them to have the kinks worked out for when my daughter starts attending there...

As a cl***room teacher, I don't mind students going to the Charter School. The problem comes in when they get kicked out and have to come back to ACS we will not have received money for them and that puts a strain on the other kids who were in ACS all along.

Yeah, if the charter kicks them out the money should go with them. ACS surely has the same situation though in reverse where kids are counted and then leave the system... Are there more kicked out of the academy than leave the system? I kind of doubt it.

There were a good number kicked out last year. But, there are also students that move in from other systems. You would have to get the statistics, but , believe it or not, there are a lot of students that move in from other systems as well. I can only speak for my cl***, but I know that there were several students that moved in from other systems.

I don't disagree that there are students that move in, my question is at the end of the year was your cl*** larger than the day it was measured for funding? My guess is it wasn't.

No matter where you are Charter Schools are a good thing. They make a school system stay on their toes. Well first they must get on their toes.

As a board member/parent, I am not afraid of competition, I think that in the end ACS offers a great education for those who want it.

My only issue is that I wish all the competition was fair. All parties should work with the same rules, especally if they are tapping into the same pool of money.

Charter schools make their own rules. They accpet the kids they want, kick out the ones they don't want, then keep the money that the state sends them for the student. ACSC is a public school, we will take anyone who comes to us. If you screw up, with few exceptions we will accomidate what it takes to give you the opportunity to get an education, if you want it.

quote:

Originally posted by Tobi Jones:
As a board member/parent, I am not afraid of competition, I think that in the end ACS offers a great education for those who want it.

My only issue is that I wish all the competition was fair. All parties should work with the same rules, especally if they are tapping into the same pool of money.

Charter schools make their own rules. They accpet the kids they want, kick out the ones they don't want, then keep the money that the state sends them for the student. ACSC is a public school, we will take anyone who comes to us. If you screw up, with few exceptions we will accomidate what it takes to give you the opportunity to get an education, if you want it.

Does ACSC return money for students who have left? If you don't then I maintain that that aspect is fair. I have yet to have someone show me that the amount of ACSC students is larger at the end of the year than the beginning by anything close to an appreciable number.

As for playing fair...what would that look like? They take the first 350 kids that apply? It would seem reasonable.

It is nothing more in this case than a multi-tier system, if your grades are up to the higher standards of the school then money isn't an issue, you can go and get a better education. If you aren't up to that academic level then you go back to regular public school. It especially goes with behavior. If you aren't capable of behaving then you can't stay. Makes sense to me. I know I will get "That's not fair" comments but the fact is that life isn't fair.

Does ACSC return money for students who have left? If you don't then I maintain that that aspect is fair. I have yet to have someone show me that the amount of ACSC students is larger at the end of the year than the beginning by anything close to an appreciable number.

As for playing fair...what would that look like? They take the first 350 kids that apply? It would seem reasonable.

It is nothing more in this case than a multi-tier system, if your grades are up to the higher standards of the school then money isn't an issue, you can go and get a better education. If you aren't up to that academic level then you go back to regular public school. It especially goes with behavior. If you aren't capable of behaving then you can't stay. Makes sense to me. I know I will get "That's not fair" comments but the fact is that life isn't fair.[/QUOTE]""



Thank you so much SOJ! Those were my exact thoughts. Mind you I only know elementary. But you are telling me when kids leave our district the the school mails a check along with the students records? Tobi, I understand what you are saying but get real.

The APA takes anyone. There are kids there that ACS has p***ed and should be 2 grades behind. They pay staff extra(grant, state, etc) to stay after school to tudor these kids. They also don't put up with parents or students crap. They sign a contract stating exactly what is expected from both parties and then hold both parents & students accountable. The only p*** students academically. They WILL NOT p*** socially. Once a trouble maker is ask to leave then it is a burden to the parents.

So IMO then the students who are ready to learn are left. I have subbed, and have a good friend who teaches, at APA. They (parents & students) know exactly what they are getting into. I know of 3 families who pulled their kids from APA because they were on their last warning and could not risk being kicked out. Then they would have to travel to get their kids in somewhere or pay for private, if private would even take them.

I am so past the poor me for ACSC.

quote:

Originally posted by Tobi Jones:
I think that in the end ACS offers a great education for those who want it.

There is really no polite way to express this, so I'll draw a picture:



Many of those who want a good quality education are prevented from obtaining one by those who do not.

Many suffering students who could really be scholars cannot:

1. concentrate
2. focus
3. think
4. analyze

in their respective c l a s s e s because of the constant disruptions from those who care less.

If you and the board would tackle this problem alone and nothing else, scores would improve dramatically, but as long as you sit back satisfied and happy then our kids will continue to be academically strangled.

"ACS offers a great education for those who want it, and who are willing to practically fight for it." There, fixed that for you...

Tobi, you should be the main person expressing dissatisfaction with our school system.

You, of all people, should be expressing your dissatisfaction loud and clear and leading the charge toward dramatic reform.

What happened to you?