This is what it looks like when a school dies.Read here.
The Austin school board–at the urging of the district superintendent Meria Carstarphen–decided to hand over Allan elementary school to a charter chain called IDEA. She said that IDEA had the formula to raise the academic achievement of the children in that school.
The new charter is supposed to enroll 600 students. Only 77 of the children who previously attended Allan will attend the new charter school. Most people would consider that a vote of no-confidence in the charter, the superintendent who was their advocate, and the school board that acted against the wishes of the local community.
How can the charter raise the academic achievement of the children in the school when nearly 90% of them are not enrolled there any more?
The Austin superintendent of schools was very determined to bring IDEA into the district, despite opposition from parents and the local community.
One researcher, Ed Fuller, challenged IDEA’s record and found himself under attack as a researcher for doing so.
And now teachers are stripping their classrooms, and the librarians are getting rid of the books because the charter doesn’t want them.
And that is what it looks like when a school dies.
Diane
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Dear Diane,
Thank you so much for this particular post. I wasted no time in sending it to Superintendent Carstarphen and the Board of Trustees. Death of a School, indeed! Don’t they see the blood on their hands?! I went to speak with clergy this morning to beg for prayers for the Opt Out Movement. And I said a personal prayer for the dead school and the innocent children who will be attending IDEA/Allan next year.
This story really broke my heart!
These are horrible stories of what is happening to our public schools and this “radical political” movement to replace representative government in our country. Diane when they attack you personally, just smile and say “thank you for the complement” I consider the source. We are not dealing with nice people who care about children or democratic principles, as I’m sure you are aware.
That’s me in that picture, and that was the library that I had the pleasure of tending to, nurturing, and bringing into full blossom for my East Austin students. Thank you for caring, and saying the things that need to be said. It is very good to know people are talking and listening and watching what is happening, not just at my little-school-that-was, but all around the country.
Reblogged this on Teacher as Transformer and commented:
Does this sound familiar? Granted the situation I refer to was not a charter taking over, but it might has well have been. It tears the heart right out of a community and its people. We call this democracy?