The New
Orleans/Recovery School District expired at the end of the 2013-2014 school
year. As a state operated school
district, the state decided to dismantle the district and convert the remaining
schools into charter schools.
Unfortunately, the decision to dismantle the district was not put to a
local vote so the citizens of New Orleans who pay taxes and utilize the public
schools could decide the fate of their district.
The
decision to convert the entire district into a system of independent charter
schools appears to be based on the misguided ideology by the state that an all
charter school district will provide choice, innovation and competition. However, the misguided ideology seems to
ignore that charter schools were not performing any better that district. According Ravtich (2013):
“The
state gave a grade of D or F to two-thirds
of
the charter schools in New Orleans. Only
9%
earned
an A and 14% earned a B. There are vast
disparities
among charters: some are high performing,
but
most are low performing…it could hardly be a model
for
the nation[i].
The
decision by the state also seemed to ignore that charter schools being
independent will have different set of rules on enrollment, instruction and
discipline that could be confusing to parents and student. The lack of uniformity concerning enrollment
criteria, the type of instruction students receive (if it is inclusive of
students with disabilities, struggling learners and English Language
learners)and student discipline will be different with each charter school. The lack of uniformity has the potential to disregard
the rights of student and parents.
Finally,
the decision by the state seemed to ignore the racial disparity and segregation
of students who are enrolled in charter schools. According to the Washington Post:
White
students disproportionately attend the best
charter
schools, while the worst are almost exclusively
populated
by African American students[ii].
The racial disparity is so bad that a federal civil
rights complaint was filed against a particular charter school operator that
runs the city’s best charter school which does not participate in the city’s
One App school enrollment lottery.
Thank
you to the teachers, administrators and non-instructional staff of the New Orleans/Recovery
School District for the hard work you have done on behalf of children who were
given very little chance to succeed by leaders who have a misguided ideology
that does not have the best interest of children.
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