Bridgeport: Where Is the Money for Néw Charters?

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1. Dianne says:

   June 13, 2014 at 12:57 pm

   Bridgeport’s existing charter schools are already costing the district in excess of $3 million per year, not to mention some $18 million in lost state and federal funding for local students who enroll in this private independent schools funded by public dollars. Expansion of those seats this fall and the addition of a new charter may cost an additional $1.5 to 2 million in 2014-15, plus there’s another, even more aggressive charter that’s been approved for 2015-16. Foolishly, aggressive privatization advocates (like ConnCAN) argue that it’s actually cheaper for state-funded charters to educate kids than it is for the local schools to do so! (You’d never know it from all the belly-aching they do each year at the legislature as they whine and stalk legislators’ offices demanding more money to support their existing schools and feed their expansionist goals.) But their math stinks, along with their motives. They seem not to understand that the district could reabsorb all the charter students tomorrow, retain and utilize for the common good all that state and federal money being diverted to the charter operators, and then the state might finally begin to address its constitutional obligation to adequately and equitably fund the Bridgeport Public Schools! Depriving the public schools of their more motivated students and involved parents may even do greater harm to the remaining public school children than the loss of those fiscal resources. Why are our policymakers so clueless? This isn’t about reforming education; it’s about deforming America’s public school system.

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2. Mary G. says:

   June 13, 2014 at 2:22 pm

   Connecticut’s charter school policy is so frighteningly wrong-headed. Magnet schools, because of the various complex formulas regarding their composition, reimbursements, etc., can be a drag on a district–but charter schools, which are privately managed and completely untouchable by the elected Board of Education! What a travesty. Connecticut’s State Board of Education knows it is imperiling the ability of already-stressed school districts to finance programs, but, in order to please Ed. Commissioner Stefan Pryor (a charter management company founder and champion of recently ousted Bridgeport Superintendent Paul Vallas), voted the expansion in anyway. The legislature, however, does not have to be so irresponsible with tax payer money–nor so callous to poor children, most of whom will suffer from this charter school expansion.

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3. Mary G. says:

   June 13, 2014 at 2:34 pm

   By the way, a soon-to-open state charter school in Windham–headed by a TFA alum, of course–recently distributed pamphlets to–get this–middle schools students (the program is supposed to be for High School drop-outs). The pamphlets are an utter embarrassment–poorly written and full of errors of logic, grammar, and good taste (I will try to get a pdf of this–I notice that the program’s website is down). Apparently anyone can get their charter school application approved by Stefan Pryor and the SBE–and this charter will be one of those receiving newly-appropriated state monies. What an insult. The state allowed a district program, staffed by certified teachers and run under the auspices of the elected Board of education, to close so that this one would have a monopoly, not to mention poaching rights. The school is Path Academy of Our Piece of the Pie, led by Chief Academic Officer and TFA alum Chris Leone.

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   • Duane Swacker says:

     June 14, 2014 at 7:33 am

     “Path Academy of Our Piece of the Pie”

     What? Did you get you get that information from the ONION??

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     • 2old2teach says:

       June 14, 2014 at 5:39 pm

       In any case, Mary, whether your tweak of the school name or someone else’s, it was very good and too believable.

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4. 2old2teach says:

   June 13, 2014 at 7:43 pm

   “The school is Path Academy of Our Piece of the Pie,… Seriously? Is this really the name of the school?

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5. thenextlevel2000 says:

   June 13, 2014 at 10:03 pm

   Wow… a school where no one fails. You will certainly make the 100% graduation rate in this way:

   Philosophy 5: Students must never move back, only forward.
   “In other words, there is no failure, just continued work toward proficiency. ”

   Click to access path_academy_state_charter_school_application_4.1.13.pdf

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