KCMO school board just voted to close 28 schools

[proud2BlibKansan]

Just leaving the meeting now. Lots of tears and lots of angry parents.

Vote was 5-4. Along racial lines. But one black member voted with the 4 white members. That was the deciding vote.

[tonysam]

1. Watch the school closings spread like wildfire all over the country.

n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. And mass firings

[benld74]

2. KCMO did what STL did 1-2 years or so ago,,,

and STL is still messing around with it.
We PAY for our kids education and it hurts,,,

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. St Louis closed about half as many IIRC

KC closed half its buildings.

[TheDebbieDee]

5. Are they closing the schools because enrollment is down?

I don't know all the details behind this action, that's why I ask.

[mzteris]

6. no one has enough money

programs being cut, classes being eiminated, subjects ignored, schools closed.

It's the ECONOMY. and it sucks.

[rurallib]

7. isn't it also an effect of Bushco tax policies coming home to roost.?

[Catshrink]

9. More like Reaganomics.

Cut the federal taxes and shift the burden to state and local governments. States borrow and play accounting games -- then the economy tanks and the scheme falls apart. Surprise! There's no money. It all started then -- Grover Norquist must be one happy man as the education system is circling the drain.

[Hannah Bell]

12. charter schools took the students & the funding.

Della Lamb Elementary Charter School‎- more info »
1000 Charlotte Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎

Derrick Thomas Junior Academy‎- more info »
201 E Armour Blvd, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎
2 reviews
"If behavior weren't such an issue the students would fly academically ..."‎

Alta Vista Charter School‎- more info »
1720 Holly Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎
1 review
"I have been in the teachers actually show that they care we are all like ..."‎
Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School‎- more info »
544 Wabash Avenue, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎

Académie Lafayette‎- more info »
6903 Oak Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎
Category: Charter School
10 reviews
"It is a nurturing, dynamic community of students, parents and a team of ..."‎

Brookside Charter School‎- more info »
1815 East 63rd Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎
13 reviews
"There is no sense of order in the school. The teachers and ..."‎

Allen Edison Educational Village Elementary Charter School‎- more info »
706 West 42nd Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎
4 reviews
"Some of my daughter s friends that do not attend this school have ..."‎

Della Lamb Charter School‎- more info »
3100 East 12 Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎

University of Missouri-Kansas City: Charter Schools‎- more info »
5306 Holmes Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎

University Academy Charter Public School‎- more info »
6801 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎
9 reviews
"There are dedicated teachers to be certain, but they are in the ..."‎

A.Della Lamb Elementary Charter School
1000 Charlotte Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎

B.Derrick Thomas Junior Academy
201 E Armour Blvd, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎
2 reviews

C.Alta Vista Charter School
1720 Holly Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎
1 review

D.Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School
544 Wabash Avenue, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎

E.Académie Lafayette
6903 Oak Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎
10 reviews

F.Brookside Charter School
1815 East 63rd Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎
13 reviews

G.Allen Edison Educational Village Elementary Charter School
706 West 42nd Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎
4 reviews

H.Della Lamb Charter School
3100 East 12 Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎

I.University of Missouri-Kansas City: Charter Schools
5306 Holmes Street, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎

J.University Academy Charter Public School
6801 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO‎ - [phone]‎
9 reviews


759 results
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http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&oq=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=kansas+city+charter+school&fb=1&gl=us&hq=charter+school&hnear=kansas+city&view=text&ei=6p-YS_SFB5L0sgOanbDCAQ&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=more-results&resnum=1&ved=0CBsQtQMwAA


and the charters are getting shitty reviews, too.



Missouri charter schools don't make the grade - Columbia Missourian
Oct 16, 2009 ... When it comes to MAP testing, Missouri charter schools underperform compared to their public counterparts.
www.columbiamissourian.com/.../missouri-charter-schools-dont-make-grade/ - Cached



"nobody has any money" ....except the charter schools, which ain't closing.

& it's not because they're succeeding.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. There are a couple more than that; that isn't a complete list

And several of those charters are on the state's 'worst performing schools' list.

One of the charters already had a press conference asking to buy one of the buildings the district is closing. Seriously. I came home from the board meeting, turned on my TV and saw the charter folks from Scuola Vita Nuova telling the reporters they had contacted the district asking to buy a school building and were angry they hadn't responded. This was about 90 minutes after the vote to close the schools. :mad:

[alp227]

23. Fixed Columbia Missourian article link:

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/10/16/missouri-charter-schools-dont-make-grade/

Seriously, why can't the government ever see the obvious? Charter schools are as educational as homeopathy is evidence-based medicine.

[mzteris]

27. did you actually READ that article -

in it's entirety? Plus some of the comments. . . Charters can be GOOD SCHOOLS! (and a whole damn lot of them ARE!)

You may not "like" charter public schools and - yes, a small portion of them aren't performing as well as possible (in which case, they'll be shut down!) - but CHARTER PUBLIC schools can be - and are! - very effective education models in which students learn and succeed. Please don't make the mistake of dismissing all charter public schools, their dedicated teachers, and their students because you - personally - don't like the concept. (Though I for the life of me, I don't get why you guys don't "get" Charter public schools. . . they do all the things you WISH YOU COULD DO! but can't because of "red tape". Wouldn't you love to be able to have the freedom to really teach the way you know it should be done? Really???)

When you consider that many charters have been in operation for less than 10 years (heck, most less than 5!) and that they tend to draw in students who are NOT succeeding in the traditional school (so they're already BEHIND) - in reality, these students are making greater strides than they would have had they been left where they were.


Heck, in Missouri - the only "sponsors for charter schools in Missouri are four-year colleges and universities. The only other option is the State Board of Education." so you can't even make that idiot "for-profit" argument (which doesn't actually exist anyway - but that's another argument for another day.)

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Yes they lost half their kids in 10 years

Many to charters, others moved out of the city.

[mzteris]

11. 8 schools joined another district.

KC spent a great deal of money on things like Olympic sized swimming pools and state-of-the-art recording studio and not enough on the meat & potatoes of learning.

Enrollment went from 75,000 to 17,500. Of those schools still operating - 6 traditional elementary, 2 charter, and 2 middle schools were among the "low performers" according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

**
" . . . A comprehensive 2006 review by the council noted bluntly that Kansas City was struggling, with four facilities directors in the previous seven years and a "sketchy vision for where it is going and how." Casserly notes that Covington, who arrived last July, is Kansas City's fourth superintendent since 2006.

"They've just operated for a very long time without biting the bullet on how many staff they ought to have and how many facilities they ought to be operating," Casserly says.

Covington unveiled the plan just 11 days ago and has since faced about 1,500 community members in a series of hearings.

Andrea Flinders, president of the Kansas City Federation of Teachers, says everyone agrees on the need for downsizing — in that sense, Covington's proposal is no surprise. She just hopes the cuts will be made fairly." http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-02-24-kansascity24_st_N.htm

*****

. . . on the brink of bankruptcy and considering another bold move: closing nearly half its schools to stay afloat.

Schools officials say the cuts are necessary to keep the district from plowing through what little is left of the $2 billion it received as part of a groundbreaking desegregation case.

Buffeted for years by declining enrollment, political squabbling and a revolving door of leadership,

. . . Kansas City is among the most striking examples of the challenges of saving urban school districts. The city used gobs of cash to improve facilities, but boosting lagging test scores and stemming the exodus of students were more elusive. Like other big-city districts, it finds itself struggling to become more than just the last resort for large pockets of poverty in the urban core.

Some districts like Boston and Cleveland have tried busing in students from other neighborhoods, while others such as Chicago have built magnet schools with specialized facilities and curriculums.

The latest possible solution for Kansas City is the plan Covington submitted to the school board last week that called for closing 29 out of 61 schools to eliminate a projected $50 million budget shortfall. Covington also has said he wants to cut about 700 of the district's 3,000 jobs, including 285 teachers. The school board vote is Wednesday.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/07/kansas-city-public-school_n_489145.html


*****

That decrease has led to cuts in state funding. The district now runs a $12 million monthly deficit and expects to run out of money by 2011.

The plan, dubbed "Right Sizing the District," aims to remove the deficit and address poor academic performance by consolidating services and cutting under-performing staff. Less than one third of elementary school students are reading at or above grade level. In nearly three quarters of the schools only one quarter of the students are characterized as "proficient," according to the district. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704353404575114463025177240.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

*******

For decades, national education experts said, the Kansas City schools had not responded to changes in demographics that would have spared them such a drastic one-time cut. “Otherwise, this whole scenario would not be as wrenching as it now appears to be,” Michael Casserly, the executive director of The Council of the Great City Schools, a research and advocacy organization, said in a telephone interview. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/us/11kansascity.html

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Yes. 35,000 kids 10 years ago. 18,000 today.

[mzteris]

26. actually was 75,000 at one point

and a 2 BILLION dollar pot of money.... :( sad they didn't make better use of it.

[Starry Messenger]

10. I'm so sorry.

:( This is a disaster.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Board members were crying

I wonder if that will be reported. Several said it was the hardest vote they had ever had to make.

[Catshrink]

13. The story made npr's Morning Edition today.

It's on just after the half hour -- I think the first half hour so maybe you can catch the repeat.

Mass School Closures Approved In Kansas City, Mo.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124558893

Audio will be up here about 9am ET:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. There was a NY Times reporter at the meeting

She interviewed our union prez.

And as we were leaving the meeting I got a text message on my phone from MSNBC telling the news.

[FBaggins]

14. I'm sorry P2B... This sucks.

N/T

[LWolf]

19. I heard this on NPR when my "alarm" went off this morning.

:(

I think I heard them say 268 positions eliminated? :wow:

Are you going to be okay?

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. 700 jobs; 300 teachers

They're hoping retirees will be a big chunk of the 300.

Yes, I'm fine. Not going anywhere. Too ornery. :)

[Catshrink]

22. We like you because your ornery

Don't ever change. kthxbai

:evilgrin:

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. Yes ma'am

[LWolf]

25. That's good to hear.

While I'm appalled at the whole situation, I have to admit that my first thought was for you.

[pleah]

20. The war on education is kicking into high gear. n/t

[mzteris]

28. this has NOTHING to do with

the "war on education".

It's about their being BANKRUPT and squandering appx TWO BILLION DOLLARS worth of resources for education.

About people fleeing the city. About the economy being in the toilet and municipalities losing money through things like sales tax and property tax and business licenses, new car sales, filing fees, etc . . .

The schools are at about 49% capacity. They went from 75,000 students to 17,500 students. They don't NEED that many buildings and teachers anymore. What? They should keep them on payroll just 'cause? I mean - actually, wouldn't it be great if they could just keep all those teachers and schools and have REALLY REALLY SMALL CLASSES?!? THAT, would be wonderful for everyone, of course, but without the monies to fund that, then wtf are they supposed to do?

They planned and prepared poorly. ALL school systems are hurting right now. Everyone is cutting back, and it's terrible, but please, don't lump this in with the "Education war" - this is all about money, plain and simple.

[pleah]

29. They could save millions where I live just getting rid of the top heavy

administration and every overpaid coach. A coach makes over 100,000 dollars compared to a teacher who make on average 32,000 a year. There are so many people in the administration and offices that they don't know what the hell is going on in the schools.

I know from personal experience.

[proud2BlibKansan]

30. We were there a few years ago

Our new supt has trimmed most of those jobs. He sent a bunch of folks back into classrooms. Told them their certificates said 'teacher' and that meant they needed to TEACH in a classroom. Love it. :)

But when we were flush with magnet money the non teaching positions just mushroomed. An academic adviser for every subject area, plus someone to lead teach the magnet programs. Plus instructional assistants (what we would call a coach today). And folks downtown running everything. I think we may have even had a director of pencil sharpeners.

[pleah]

31. Hey, I think they have one of those pencil sharpeners here! :D

Yep, that is almost exactly what's wrong here.

[mzteris]

32. and - again - has NOTHING to do with

the "war on education" - and everything to do with stupidity and not thinking past the end of your nose.