Regarding small charter schools vs larger k-8 elementary schools there
are a few points to keep in mind. One has to do with collateral
educational support services. The school library, media center, music
instruments, gymnasium equipment, and janitorial services. Consider the
library: each school must have a minimum set of books regardless of
student body size - so the library is not arithmetically proportional to
student body. One could go on to dissect the other things in the list,
but you get the point. The problem some people have with the schools are
that some people perceive that the schools are failing in their mission.
What frequently gets left out of the discourse is that the schools are
not in total control of the students. Has a child had a good nights
sleep and a good breakfast. Have the parents been fully supportive of
their childs homework environment - do they take the child to the
library, do they participate. A child is in school for about 6 hours and
somewhere else for 18 hours. Well, I could wax on and repeat what other
have said numerous times. From my catbird seat, I can say the schools
are doing a good job with the raw material they have been given.
>Although I don't have all the data in the world at my fingertips, I do know
>that atleast one child out of the 19 in my daughter's first grade last year
>at Ramsey was held back.
>
>As a parent I don't know exactly precisely what the concrete benefits of a
>small school are (besides being able to be closed down conveniently)
>separate from small classrooms. There is the community feel, the "knowing
>everyone" thing, but I mean in terms of the academic experience. Charter
>schools have a lot going for them, including that they are chosen by
>parents who took the time to find out about them in the first place. But
>there are a number of resource difficulties that come up as you go below
>various plateau's in school size. Also charter schools have one distinct
>cost that regular schools don't (in general) - leasing their space. And so
>on - I think it's just like anything else - there are a number of groups of
>kids who are best served by charter schools, and I'm really glad our
>greater community includes a huge number of them (and 20 more or so new
>each year, lately). But for many of us the huge behemoths are just fine,
>thank you: with their diverse range of people and programs and learning
>opportunities.
>
>The school system prohibits discrimination, and the boy scouts have
>mandated discrimination. They are responding by tolerating but not
>promoting that organization, in the hopes of putting pressure on them
>(along with many other school systems and other groups across the country)
>so that the boy scouts will cease this amazingly hurtful policy and become
>open again to all who would benefit from them.
>
>And as far as the making change comment, I remember working at McDonalds
>while I was in High School - I'm sure I didn't always make the best
>argument for my school either, due to exhaustion, preoccupation, annoyance,
>boredom. Now the schools have to not only respond to populations affected
>by every societal ill but also guarantee the performance of its
>participants in every facet of their lives 24/7? Geesh! No but really,
>generalizations are hard to respond to effectively.
>
>Claire Stokes
>Hiawatha
>
>>(imagine if you try shutiing down a
>>1000 student behemoth that allows failing students to
>>pass..).
>
>>jon kelland
>>bryant
>
John Ferman
Harriet Avenue
Kingfield Neighborhood
Minneapolis
Ward 10 Pct 10
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
