Has anyone reading this blog participated in - or heard about - public schools successfully fighting (as in, winning a fight) with the DOE about having a charter school placed in their local public school? Would you care to share your insights and experiences? I was dismayed to see that some school buildings house more than two schools.
Please post responses!
Monday, March 31, 2008
General Question for Readers
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3 comments:
If there is enough space in the school and the principals of the two schools can work together, it really won't be as bad as you think. I work in a school that has a charter school in the top portion of the building and for the most part it works out just fine. The only time conflict ever arises is with my own principal (of the Public School). She is not very collaborative by nature and doesn't want to work with the charter school so she often tries to make things difficult for them (and by default, us too). I don't know how it is all over the city, but she was made "building manager" so she basically has most of the say in what goes on. The two schools have frequent meetings to discuss issues, plan, etc.
Because of the scheduling differences in the two schools, we rarely see the other school. They arrive before us and leave after us.
So, if you have the space and your school is willing to collaborate, I'm sure you will find that it won't be a huge change or inconvenience to share a building with another school.
It may not be considered a "charter" school but we are in the same boat as you. We had one high school imposed on us and now they are leaving. DOE wants to place yet another high school on us and we are fighting them tooth and nail on it. To read our story click on my name above.
By placing a charter school in PS 15, DOE is basically punishing the school for circumstances beyond its control and for following the rules. PS 15 is under-enrolled due to the lightening speed at which the neighborhood gentrified. The decline in PS 15’s enrollment corresponds with the influx of hipsters and bo-bos into Red Hook which resulted in the displacement of working class and moderate-income families many of whom sent their kids to PS 15. Moreover, PS 15 could have upped its enrollment like PS 29, PS 58, and PS 261 do by issuing variances to families zoned for really low performing schools(e.g.PS 27), but they did not. Instead, PS 15 followed the DOE mandate of “no variances.”
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