BBM. Well, that is clearly an opinion that we won't ever agree on. First, KIPP is not "for profit"-- they are all non-profits, supported by both state dollars (as charters), and foundations, grants, and donations. And they are immensely successful by every measure of success-- graduation, enrollment in post secondary schools, graduation from those programs, and entry into the taxpaying workforce as skilled and educated workers. (And avoidance of the criminal justice system, and long term avoidance of using public assistance/ welfare.) How much more can we define lifetime success?? It's the envy of that success that is the basis for criticism.
And absolutely, charters DO siphon off those most likely to succeed, and their parents, and teachers who want to teach in that environment. That's a very good thing, IMO, especially in inner cities with problems. I'd like for ALL disadvantaged kids to get a chance to go to a school like KIPP, but since that isn't possible, I'll settle for SOME of those kids getting that intensive support so they can have the best chance to succeed, and break the cycle of poverty.
But yes, I'm aware there are some less effective schools, and more effective schools-- private, public, and charter. The biggest barrier to success, IMO, is that *success* is so tremendously threatening to those who are not successful. Critics can't wait to tear down anything successful, so they can demand that we all be miserable failures together. Then, and only then, are we *equal*.
http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2067941,00.html
The comments criticizing KIPP in the above post generally prove my point. I have a child attending a specialty charter school, and another in public school. We have used both public schools, and charter schools, and if there were a good enough private school within a reasonable distance, I’d use that, too. We are lucky we have some choices. And charters are tracked very closely in my state. Some have been closed and funding withdrawn.
These “KIPP” models are clearly successful, but critics pick apart things like CEO compensation.Critics, who are largely unions and teachers who belong to unions, are frustrated (and envious) that these kids, teachers, and charters are succeeding. So rather than figure out how to adapt and apply this success model to failing schools and failing students, critics insist that everyone must fail equally in the failing schools, so it’s “fair” to everyone in the urban neighborhoods. They cling to what ISN’T working, because of the sacred union promises. They value their “tenure” and seniority, and all the union demands, more than student success, IMO. We know that from previous situations where teachers were offered double or triple their union salaries in exchange for working in more successful models, and UNIONS prevent the teachers from even voting on that. The only way we improve public education in inner cities, IMO, is to bust the unions and change the model of failure to one of success.
But unions won’t allow that. So we continue to have teachers in failing districts doing things like the Detroit Sick Out. That had nothing at all to do with the students, or educational success, and everything to do with the irrational fear that the district might mess up their summer pay. So they had a tantrum, basically said “FU” to the students, admins, and parents, and walked out for 2 days. So that's 2 less days those kids had in class this year. And how is that is good for the students?
We know that teacher unions are a huge barrier to reforming public education. We know this from things like charter schools with no unions who have tremendous success measured by outcomes, and from districts like Washington D.C. when the controversial Michelle Rhee took over as chancellor, and outcome measures improved so dramatically until unions, whose existence was threatened, put a stop to that. Unions, IMO, are for factory workers and low-skilled service workers. IMO, unions have no place in professional occupations.
I still think every participating teacher in Detroit should be disciplined, pay docked, and fined, for that illegal sick out. Detroit schools are clearly in trouble and failing. The need for sweeping educational reform is dire in places like Detroit. And as I said, the unions are the biggest barrier to reforms that actually work for students.