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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 1999)
£ ___ ; 2 ^ z 2 f f i 2 a S a - a s s *. •JL- June 16, 1999 IJorUauò (Observer PageB3 ’• % ’7 E D U C A T I O N Starting A Charter School its curriculum, the expected results and B y R ic h a r d M e in h a r d verified m ethods o f measuring the C ontributing W riter from C enter for E ducational C hance growth o f knowledge in the students, the governance structure, the projected nyone can operate a charter enrollment and grades to be served, the school but the school m ust target population o f students, any dis be form ed as a new n o n tinctive learning or teaching techniques profit organization except for alter to be used, the admission policies and n ative schools already providing student application procedures, addi co n tracted services to districts. D is tional rules and laws the school will trict schools are not legal entities, accept, the budget and financial plan o n ly districts are. If teachers w anted along with evidence o f financial abil 4o convert their d istrict school to ity, the standards for student behavior in d e p en d e n t ch a rter sta tu s, they and discipline, the school day and year, w ould have to form a non-profit the staff qualifications, the date o f op organization w ith its ow n governing erations, special education and disci b o ard that w ould then be able to pline, the school day and year, the staff en ter into a legally binding charter qualifications, the date o f operations, contract w ith the school board and special education and related services, m anage the financial affairs o f the community groups involved, the char school. A private school that pro ter term, performance bonding and vides alternative ed ucation under a insurance, placement o f teachers and contract to a district can use its ex student if the school closes, fiscal audit isting organization but i f a private procedures, and employee relations. school w ants to be chartered to be T hese w ritten answ ers form the com e a public school, it m ust d is basis for the charter contract that b and and reform as a new non-profit legally bind s the school to com pli ch arter school organization. T his ance and perform ance standards. No re q u ire m e n t p re v e n ts a p riv a te perform ance, no charter. But in re school from creating an exclusive turn for the acco u n tab ility contract, school for its ow n kids because if the bill allow s m ost education regu the school is over enrolled w hen it lations and statutes to be rem oved. restarts, it w ill have to adm it stu T he ch arter school m ust still co m dents on the basis o f a lottery. p ly w ith certain statutes and rules C harter starters m ust seek the ap governing the state CIM and CA M proval o f the locally elected school standards, state testing, health and “board in order to operate a charter safety, n on-d iscrim in atio n and p ro ¿school and receive district funding. hibition o f religion, open m eetings, ^The idea is that boards will w ant to federal law s, an d others. charter a school rather than lose the The charter bill makes important charter school to the state. The local changes in the way public education is h o ard has three m onths to hold a delivered. In the charter relationship, public hearing and act on the charter the charter bill changes the school proposal. In m aking its decision, a boards role from that o f being the “board must look at the capability o f owner/operator o f schools to that o f the charter starters to provide a com broker/oversight agency for learning. prehensive instructional program in Boards no longer need to micromanage cluding students w ho are low achiev schools since site m anagem ent o f ing, how com plete the charter appli school takes over control o f money, cation is, w hether there will be a “di budgets, personnel, operations, devel rectly identifiable, significant and opment, program adoption, everything. adverse impact on the quality o f the Accountability changes from regula public education o f students residing tions and control over the processes o f in the district,” the arrangem ents for school operation to contractual ac special education, and the arrange countability for results and outcomes. ments for students and teachers if a Accountability now carries a conse public school is converting to charter quence for failure to perform. With the status school. The local board often establishment o f real accountability, will have political pressure to refuse deregulation and removal o f bureau charter applicants but the charter bill cratic control follow. The handcuffs helps boards resist pressure to turn can and m ust come off. And instead o f down charter applicants by allowing funding districts, funding is finally “at charter starters to go to the state board tached" to students and follows them if the local board refuses. The state to the school that serves them. Funding can suggest m odifications, refuse the is naturally reallocated on the need — charter appeal, or charter the school how m any students a school serves. itself. The board that approves the Teachers becom e professionals charter becom es the charter sponsor w hose teaching capability and pro and assumes responsibility for over sight o f the charter contract. The charter starters develop a char ter proposal answering a number o f questions about the operation and stan dards for the school. The charter start ers must describe who is applying the philosophy and m ission o f the school, A School Uniform Legislature The H ouse voted 31 to 27 to pass a bill encouraging the use o f school uniform s, rh e b ill’s sponsor. Senator John Lim, R-G resham , believes that the use o f school uniform s w ill help com bat violence, im prove academ ic perfor m ance, and increase self-esteem . “G ang related clothing fosters violence, cre ates an atm osphere o f fear, and distracts from classroom instruction” stated Senator Lim. “W ith school uniform s, there w ill be no trench coat m afias' and parents and schools w ill have an other tool to free up teachers for w hat they do | best, teaching.” S en ato r L im sta te d th a t he d o es n o t b e liev e sc h o o l u n ifo rm s are a “ c u re a ll” for sc h o o l v io len ce. H o w ev er, he b ro u g h t fo r w ard the p ro p o se d le g isla tio n . S en ate B ill 7 51, w ith the h o p e th a t it w o u ld assu re p a r en ts an d sc h o o ls o f th e ir rig h t to set a school u n ifo rm p o lic y as w ell as en c o u ra g in g the im p lem e n ta tio n o f th o se p o lic es in individual sc h o o ls and sc h o o l d istric ts. T he p ro p o sal. S enate B ill 751, encourages scho o ls and school d istricts to im plem ent school uniform p o lic ie s as long as reasonable n otice is given to parents. T here is also an “op, o u t" clau se w hich allow s ch ild ren to be e x em pt from the school uniform po licy if their p arents subm it a w ritten request. Senate Bill 751 passed the Senate on M ay 11 by a vote o f 21 to 8. The Senate will now consider changes m ade by the H ouse before it m oves to the G overnor’s desk. fessional reputation are vital to the success o f the school. S uddenly, change-oriented teachers have a real opportunity to bring in innovative program s. D istrict p rocesses and governance com m inees cannot block change. A nd teachers no longer have to be unionized em ployees but can ow n and operate their own learning gram Parents have the pow er o f be ing consum ers who control funding by their choices. They find charter school eager to serve them, and they can even becom e involved in the non-profit board o f the school or program but along with this opportu nity com es the need to market and sell their program to families. Public charter schools have a pow erful in centive to find the best teachers pos sible to carry out their unique pro First Youth$ave Graduation n Ju n e 10 ‘\ ten you n g m en a n d w o m e n c e le b r a te d th e ir n in e -m o n th g o al o f saving m oney to reach their ow n dream s. T he youths are participants in Y outhSave, a m atched-savings orogram ofR E A C H C om m unity D e velopm ent. T h eir success w as cel ebrated in a cerem ony at the Federal C ourthouse w ith U.S. D istrict Court Judge A ncer H aggerty presiding. Reach began the program last fall with the goal o f helping youth leam money management skills while assist ing them to raise funds for activities they could otherwise not afford. W ith cut backs m school funding for academic, athletic, artistic and musical programs, many o f these younger residents find they cannot participate in activities due to lack o f funds. YouthSave provides an opportunity to change that. YouthSave gives kids ages 10-18 living in REACH- owned affordable housing a chance to participate in athletic, artistic or educa tional activities. Participants in theprogram attended money management c lasses, performed community service work, and opened savings accounts to help achieve their goals. Each student's savings account was matched by REACH through a grant from the Enterprise Foundation. W ashington Mutual Bank generously allowed participants to save theirmoncy free ofcharge, and provided assistance with money management classes. Some o f the tangible benefits o f the YouthSave Program for the 10 suc cessful participants include new in struments, athletic lessons and a new computer. REACH Community De velopment, Inc. is a private nonprofit corporation that develops and man ages affordable housing in southeast Portland. The Enterprise Foundation is a national foundation providing fund ing and technical assistance to organi zations working to improve our inner- city neighborhoods. i £ V cause review for non-com pliance w ith the charter in difficult cases. Richard Meinhard, Ph D. is the Presi dent of the Centerfor Educational Change He can be contacted by phone at 503/234- 4600 or email at edcenter@teleport.com Free women’s healthcare! 1 Includes rth contr O * 3 « y I ; •< ? •5 I ■ •- I .< < Jgf i l l - . I I w r I w IR w If you’re a woman who lives in Oregon and earns less than $15,200 a year (not including your parents’ income), you can get free women’s healthcare at Planned Parenthood. You can even sign up for the bene fits at our clinic during your appointment. It couldn’t be easier to protect your health and future! For your nearest Planned Parenthood clinic, call 1-800-230-PLAN O Planned Parenthood II®’ of the Columbia/Willamette