|
ALBANY, NY (December 2004)
Describing Albany as already "over-saturated" with charter schools,
Albany Board of Education President Scott Wexler came together with
State Senator Neil Breslin as well as representatives from the Albany
Common Council and Albany County Legislature to try to stop the addition
of two more charter schools.
"We are
all here to send a united message from our community to the State
University of New York Board of Trustees - We want a moratorium on
approving any new charter schools in the city of Albany," said Wexler at
an afternoon press conference held in the newly opened Philip J.
Schuyler Achievement Academy on Clinton Avenue.
Currently, there are two charter elementary schools operating within the
city and two recently authorized charter middle schools scheduled to
open next fall. On Tuesday, December 14, the SUNY Board of trustees is
expected to review applications for a fifth and sixth charter school--
one an elementary school and the other a middle school. Of the two
charter schools being reviewed on Tuesday, the Albany Preparatory
Charter School has already been rejected by the NYS Board of Regents on
the basis that it would place too much of a burden on Albany School
District finances.
A host of
people joined Wexler and Breslin at the press conference to speak
against these two latest charter schools. They included School
Superintendent Dr. Eva Joseph, City Council Member Carolyn McLaughlin,
County Legislator Bill Clay, Teacher Association President Bill Ritchie,
Arbor Hill Elementary PTA President Dawn Knight-Thomas, and People
Advocating Smaller Schools (PASS) member James Tierney.
"As you
can see from our speakers and other community members that have joined
us, there is a community-wide consensus against the continued expansion
of these experimental, privately run schools that drain taxpayer money
and undermine our school improvement efforts," noted Wexler.
Three of
the elected bodies represented - the school board, common council and
county legislature - have all passed resolutions asking for a
moratorium, and numerous locally elected state officials have spoken out
against adding any more charter schools in Albany. However, this is the
first time they have come together to press their case collectively.
The
sentiment among those at the press conference was that whether you favor
or oppose charter schools, six is too many for a city the size of
Albany. Currently, the state is limited to setting up no more than 100
charter schools (with 50 having been approved so far). With a statewide
population of 19 million, that would amount to an average of one charter
school for every 190,000. On a per capita basis, that should mean no
more than a half a charter school in Albany. "We are clearly
over-saturated now with four charter schools and would be in worse
condition with six," said Wexler, noting that these charter schools
could draw off as much as 26% of the district's K-8 student enrollment.
At the
very least, school officials believe there needs to be more
accountability from charter schools before any more are approved in
Albany. Locally, New Covenant Charter School, the only one so far to
report any testing data, has shown results so poor that the SUNY
Trustees voted earlier this year to shut down New Covenant's upper
grades and return 150 students to the district. Some 64% of those New
Covenant students came back with such serious math deficiencies that the
district had to hire additional assistants to help bring them up on
level with their other city peers.
Nationally, a new study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education
found that in five other states (New York was not included in the study)
students from charter schools were LESS likely to meet state performance
standards. "Charter schools are, for all intent and purpose, still a
giant experiment being funded with taxpayer dollars," said School
Superintendent Dr. Eva Joseph. "It is completely irresponsible to
approve more charter schools when, to date, what data there are shows\
results are worse - not better."
Joseph
went on to say that since 1999, when the first statewide tests were
introduced in fourth and eighth grades, the Albany City Schools have
developed new strategies to help students meet the higher academic
standards. "There are no easy or quick fixes for raising student
achievement. Charter schools do not have any more answers than we do.
But we think our efforts are paying off. We are seeing our test scores
improve, and we expect to make even greater gains in the future."
However,
she and others stressed that the one surefire way to slow Albany
School's improvement efforts is to continue to pull money out of its
budget and redirect those funds to charter schools. This year alone
nearly $8 million of the district's budget went to the two existing
charter schools. "Imagine what we could have done for the students of
Albany if we had that money back in our budget," said Joseph. "Now,
imagine what we will not be able to do for them if we have six charter
schools."
Superintendent Eva Joseph's press conference presentation:
It is with great satisfaction that I stand here today with so many
representatives of Albany and supporters of public education to urge the
SUNY Board of Trustees to place a moratorium on approving any new
charter schools here in Albany!
Charter
schools are still—for all intent and purpose—a giant experiment being
funded with taxpayer dollars.
It is
completely irresponsible to approve more charter schools when—to
date—whatever data there are show results for charter schools that are
worse—not better.
In fact,
New Covenant Charter School has shown such poor results that the SUNY
Board of Trustees voted earlier this year to shut down New Covenant’s
upper grades and return 150 students to the district. And, a new study
commissioned by the United States Department of Education found that in
five states, students from charter schools were LESS likely to meet
state performance standards.
We
realize there are no easy or quick fixes for raising student
achievement. Charter schools do not have more answers than we do. But,
right now, we think our efforts are paying off.
For
example, we are administering new and better diagnostic tests to
students and using hard data as opposed to hunches, to decide how to
help each and every child strengthen their skills.
We have
increased the level of one-to-one instructional assistance to students
to help them achieve high standards.
We have
grown our partnerships with local colleges and universities to connect
our students to strong evidence-based instructional programs and to
strengthen our teaching.
We are
seeing our test scores improve, and as a result of these new strategies,
we expect to make even greater gains in the future.
Yet, our
improvement efforts could be slowed if charter schools continue to
siphon more and more money away from the district.
Last year
alone, nearly $8 million went to funding the existing two charter
schools. On top of that, the district had to expend close to $450,000
to hire additional teachers and teaching assistants to help bring the
returning New Covenant students up to a similar performance level as
their peers.
Imagine
what we could have done for our students if we had that $8 million back
in our budget. Now, imagine what we will not be able to do for them if
we have six charter schools.
Albany
Teachers' Union President Bill Ritchie's presentation at the press
conference:
Good afternoon. As the representative of the 900-member Albany Public
School Teachers’ Association, I am pleased to join with the Albany
County Legislature, the Albany Common Council, the Albany Board of
Education, the City-wide Parent Teacher Association, Parents Advocating
Small Schools and the host of Albany voters who are demanding a
moratorium on the construction of any further charter schools in
Albany. It is clear that opposition to charter school saturation is
deep and wide.
Albany
citizens did not vote to fund charter schools. They did not vote to hand
over our middle schools to private interests and they did not vote to
privatize our public schools. We are not going to stand idly by while
the voter-approved plan to rebuild Albany schools and the District
school improvement plans are sabotaged by the unbridled proliferation of
unproven charter schools being forced on our city. Charter school
saturation is a violation of the will of the voters.
And why
are charter schools the answer? Nationally, their reputation is on the
decline. The sole charter school in Troy ranked 7th out of 7 schools.
The sole charter school in Syracuse ranked 23 out of 26 and 3 out of
seven charter schools in Buffalo ranked 45th, 47th and 48th out of 48
schools. Have we taken leave of our senses?
Every
single public school in Albany is fully accountable to the citizens.
The only single charter school actually accountable—New Covenant—was
forced to close Grades 7 and 8 due to pitiful results and student
management problems. The Board of Regents refused to extend its
charter, but the Pataki appointed SUNY Board of Trustees did so. Which
surely raises the question: Are we dealing with politics or the
education of our children?
On
Tuesday, the SUNY Board of Trustees will decide on Albany Prep. This
school was rejected by the Board of Regents in September because of the
devastating financial effect it together with other charter schools
would have on the City School District of Albany. This year we spent
more than $7 million of our school budget supporting charter
schools--$7 million which could have been used in our district to
improve the instruction of our many needy students. If Albany Prep is
granted a charter, then 17.1% of our net general fund will be devoted to
charter schools at the time of full implementation.
As
teachers, we are constantly struggling to improve student achievement
and attain and exceed the New York State Standards. We have made steady
gains and have removed all elementary schools from the NCLB list. Four
of our schools appeared on the SED 2003 “Most Improved Schools” list.
WE have doubled enrollment in our honors classes at Hackett and now
provide all-day Teaching Assistants to each section of students
demonstrating academic or social needs. We have increased inclusion
opportunities for our special education students.
What
really enrages our teachers is that using fundamentally flawed charter
school legislation, precious funding is being drained from our district
to keep unproven charter schools afloat on the backs of the students to
whom we are deeply committed.
-30-
The City School
District of Albany serves almost 9,400 students in 19
elementary, middle and high schools. The district includes several
magnet schools and programs, as well as other innovative academic
opportunities for students in addition to neighborhood schools. The
district is more than halfway through its comprehensive facilities
project to newly build and/or renovate nearly all of its elementary
and middle schools. The ultimate goal of the facilities project is
to provide schools with the resources necessary to help students
succeed in the 21st Century.
|
