New Orleans parents complain that charter schools are leaving most vulnerable students behind

[proud2BlibKansan]

A crowd openly hostile to Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas used a state board of education meeting to raise concerns about whether charter schools are leaving the most vulnerable children behind.

When Vallas stated at Monday's meeting that charters are doing "a heck of a job" educating public school students, the mostly African-American audience responded with jeers. Many speakers called for the return of neighborhood schools and expressed fears that many charters accept only students with high test scores.
Ellis Lucia, The Times-Picayune archive
Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas

"Charters don't want anything to do with our children. They're sending them away," said Brenda Valteau, who identified herself as a 1961 graduate of George Washington Carver High School. "We're losing our young people to the streets. It sounds like a conspiracy to me."

Most New Orleans public schools were deemed low-performing and in 2005 turned over to the state-run Recovery School District and converted to charters. The Orleans Parish School Board, which once controlled more than 100 schools, retains only 16: 12 of them independently run charters and four traditional public schools.

More ... http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2010/03/new_orleans_parents_complain_t.html

[Catshrink]

1. Two points:

1) Charters must take all students.
2) Arne Duncan said this is why Katrina was a blessing for NOLA. (paraphrase)

:sarcasm:

[elehhhhna]

2. Reep wet dream: For-Profit Segregation.

[Scuba]

3. Until charter schools take their fair share of special needs kids....

...there is no point in comparing them to public schools.

[mzteris]

5. These "charters" were opened and operated by the DEPT OF EDUCATION!

[Hannah Bell]

6. uh, no, they were opened & operated by their boards under a charter from

the recovery school district, a receiver for "failing schools" which is under the oversight of the state dept of ed.

recovery school district itself *operates* its non-charter schools.

the operation of its *charter* schools is done by whatever entity chartered them.

recovery school district charters include at least five KIPP schools -- a national chain, so obviously the state ed dept doesn't "operate" these schools.

when charter school "reform" fails to live up to its hype -- as it invariably does -- there's always an excuse.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Had a great conversation last night with a union organizer working in NO

She said the charter folks are predators in NO and more and more parents are speaking out.

She also said the day after Katrina, Andrew Card sent a note to Spellings that said "This is your opportunity."

[Hannah Bell]

8. and they sure took it.

[mzteris]

4. it's managed by the LA DEPT OF EDUCATION -

there's the problem...