Tonight I am taking my family (and my youngest brother & his family) to the "last chance dance" to support our school. There will be music, there will be a contest for the best "spirit wear" and there will be silent auction/Chinese auction/tricky tray items to bid on. There will be a lot of people there, (fingers crossed) and fun fun fun for our kids and families.
So why do I have a :( face in the title? This isn't a fun event for me or many of our members. Our school, The Institute for Excellence Charter School has received its death sentence, the 2 years of ASK scores that we have are all the proof that the Department of Education needs to administer the lethal injection and close the doors for good. Our families, our teachers, our students and the community that has been built over the past 5 years will be left to mourn this loss, a big one for our community, an opportunity never fully realized, a School (with a capital S) created with big dreams and even bigger hopes that were not reached.
I am sad, absolutely, since I was fairly happy with the education my children have gotten. I have seen one child thrive in math and science and start to take on a mantle of classroom leadership. I have seen my other child learn self-control, how to deal with frustration and how to connect with her peers and teachers positively -- through the interaction of WONDERFUL teachers and counselors. And I am angry. I am angry...ANGRY. I am angry at the leaders of our school for this outcome. I am angry that we have had so much churn with teachers and especially administrators. I am ANGRY at myself for hoping my suspicions were wrong, that we would be approved for at least another 4 years to improve so I did nothing to ensure my own offspring's education. I am also angry at Commissioner Chris Cerf who has remained annoyingly silent since the news of our denial has come out, whose office has then denied additional funding for Choice Districts who might free up slots for the 480 students who will not have a "home" as of 6/30/2013. I am angry at Governor Chris Christie, a supposed champion of school choice and Charter Schools, and yet in the past few years, the fact is that Charter Schools are not allowed to be started in certain areas due to the potential economic impact on the sending district, most likely the areas that truly NEED some choice -- areas like Winslow Township...Governor Chris Christie is also super quiet about this situation. He has provided no response to numerous requests from parents, administrators and other sources to at least MEET our students, tour our school and listen to what we have to say. We are constituents, voters, and members of this community and the larger community of the "Great State of NJ" --- why in there no response, even if it's to say "hey, I am not really interested in talking about this" PROVIDE us with something...
That being said, I am going to this dance, with my family, and will put on my happy face (as happy as this face can get)...and continue to support the efforts to Save Our School -- Unlike a death row inmate who on average spends 11 years in appeals (Bureau of Justice Statistics), TIFECS does not have years of appeals...we have one opportunity to appeal legally and there's very little chance since we are unable to support our appeal with information beyond what was included in the original request to extend the charter...we can't introduce the amazing MAP scores for ALL of our grades that show growth and improvement that is statistically better than our cohorts; we are unable to show how innovative our curriculum is, not only teaching to basic skills but ensuring that our students learn CRITICAL THINKING skills, creative ways to learn and have a large amount of science and social studies in the curriculum. Our downfall, I suppose, is that our teachers didn't spend all.their.time teaching for the ASK test...they spent time helping our children learn science practically, hands on. The spent time ensuring comprehension of subjects and supporting the students need to learn experimentally....so now it's most likely back to school in a district that is also failing, so that they get the $$ for our children back into the Winslow Township coffers and they still won't be providing anything exceptional. I personally called the office of the Superintendant about 2 weeks ago and inquired as to what their plan was to integrate our 480 students. I was told that there would be "no problem" and that no adjustments at all would really need to be made. I don't know about you, but how does one add almost 100 students per grade to an already struggling district WITH NO PROBLEM?
I beg any of you reading this blog, if you have gotten this far, to help us in bringing our plight to the public...not everyone likes or advocates Charter Schools -- that's fine and I *get* that, but understand that if you live in Winslow Township, YOUR children's classrooms will now be tighter, YOUR resources will be stretched even further, because of this denial. The loss of the Institute for Excellence Charter School further dilutes the resources available to your child/ren... I don't think anyone wins in this situation and that makes me sad.
What say you?
Friday, March 22, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Where to turn? Charting the aftermath of non-renewal
Many of my friends and family know that the charter school my children attend has been denied renewal by the New Jersey Department of Education. The main reason cited for non-renewal is low ASK (standardized test) scores in comparison with the state and our sending district. While I personally dispute the validity of two years of data (ASK doesn't start until 3rd grade), I agree the test results are dismal and regardless of an appeal, my soon to be 6th grader needs a different school since our current charter is only through 5th grade, and even if we miraculously win the appeal process, there will not be a 6th grade.
So, in the great state of New Jersey, after carefully reviewing the charter renewal and deeming the school ineligible to renew due to low scores and lack of leadership, one might assume then that the GREAT state of New Jersey along with the Commissioner of Education Chris Cerf or at least someone in the vast wasteland of the New Jersey Department of Education might have some plan in place to help the families/parents/guardians of 480 (yes four-hundred eighty) students find their way into a school, or provide a guideline for how the over burdened, under performing, over crowded sending district might integrate 480 students, about 80 in each grade from 1-6th for the upcoming school year. If one made that assumption, s/he would be WRONG.
For the past week, I have been emailing, calling, facebooking and reaching out to Chris Cerf, his office, the governor, the director of Inter District Choice and the department of Charter Schools. I have gotten NO RESPONSE from Chris Cerf, Chris Christie, anyone in any level of authority except for the director of Interdistrict Choice Jessani Gordon who assured me, at 3:00 3/11/2013 that there was a plan of action in place in regard to CHOICE schools and how they will work with our families to find places for our children. She advised that this information would be sent to the TIFECS administration before close of business on 3/11. Taking her at her word (since she actually answered her phone when I called) I followed up with the TIFECS offices this morning, and NOTHING. Another round of calls, and the same person advised another parent that the information would be coming out today.
What amazes me is that the DOE claims our school lacks leadership and direction, which I actually agree with; however, here is a governmental body that holds sway over the educational potential for ALL of our children in NJ (not just mine, not just TIFECS' but ALL of our children) and they can't even find the time to give guidance to the people they just ripped a charter out from under.
REALLY? I am fairly certain each of the people who work in the departments at the NJ DOE make a healthy salary...I am certain that they have full benefits and their children have a place to go to school next year. Why is it OK for them to not give us, parents, families, VOTERS, a clear path for our children? I feel like they have taken us out of a safe, warm place that we know and are just letting us hang there to punish us, proving that we should have never chosen a charter school to begin with, and if we were to have the opportunity, each of us would think twice because this is what happens when good schools turn bad. Governor Christie likes to say that he is a Charter School advocate.... maybe he should put his money where his mouth is and help US find our way....because the people running the NJ Department of Education don't have any insight or even any correct information to provide. How scary that an entity such as the DOE has lost all credibility in my opinion...makes me VERY happy to have my children enter back into the fray.
(as an aside, we are still fighting to request an appeal of the decision. Please support our school by signing our petition
So, in the great state of New Jersey, after carefully reviewing the charter renewal and deeming the school ineligible to renew due to low scores and lack of leadership, one might assume then that the GREAT state of New Jersey along with the Commissioner of Education Chris Cerf or at least someone in the vast wasteland of the New Jersey Department of Education might have some plan in place to help the families/parents/guardians of 480 (yes four-hundred eighty) students find their way into a school, or provide a guideline for how the over burdened, under performing, over crowded sending district might integrate 480 students, about 80 in each grade from 1-6th for the upcoming school year. If one made that assumption, s/he would be WRONG.
For the past week, I have been emailing, calling, facebooking and reaching out to Chris Cerf, his office, the governor, the director of Inter District Choice and the department of Charter Schools. I have gotten NO RESPONSE from Chris Cerf, Chris Christie, anyone in any level of authority except for the director of Interdistrict Choice Jessani Gordon who assured me, at 3:00 3/11/2013 that there was a plan of action in place in regard to CHOICE schools and how they will work with our families to find places for our children. She advised that this information would be sent to the TIFECS administration before close of business on 3/11. Taking her at her word (since she actually answered her phone when I called) I followed up with the TIFECS offices this morning, and NOTHING. Another round of calls, and the same person advised another parent that the information would be coming out today.
What amazes me is that the DOE claims our school lacks leadership and direction, which I actually agree with; however, here is a governmental body that holds sway over the educational potential for ALL of our children in NJ (not just mine, not just TIFECS' but ALL of our children) and they can't even find the time to give guidance to the people they just ripped a charter out from under.
REALLY? I am fairly certain each of the people who work in the departments at the NJ DOE make a healthy salary...I am certain that they have full benefits and their children have a place to go to school next year. Why is it OK for them to not give us, parents, families, VOTERS, a clear path for our children? I feel like they have taken us out of a safe, warm place that we know and are just letting us hang there to punish us, proving that we should have never chosen a charter school to begin with, and if we were to have the opportunity, each of us would think twice because this is what happens when good schools turn bad. Governor Christie likes to say that he is a Charter School advocate.... maybe he should put his money where his mouth is and help US find our way....because the people running the NJ Department of Education don't have any insight or even any correct information to provide. How scary that an entity such as the DOE has lost all credibility in my opinion...makes me VERY happy to have my children enter back into the fray.
(as an aside, we are still fighting to request an appeal of the decision. Please support our school by signing our petition
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