Governor Cuomo, a.k.a. "Mr Public Education" recently announced that he'd like to add 100 more Charter Schools to New York State. His self-stated logic is simple. New York's public schools are failing, and the public school "monopoly" on education has to be broken up. Never mind that a handful of investment banks control our entire economy, and have already proven to be more than capable of literally destroying that very same economy, that doesn't seem to disturb him in the least. No, the Governor feels that the greatest threat to our state's well-being is the poor performance of our public schools, and that the villain in all of this, isn't very hard to find. It's those damn teachers! (Which I happen to be one of)
- Andrew Cuomo lists the total number of good pubic school teachers he knows of in New York State on one hand. (TImes Union)
Some people may not be familiar with the workings of a charter school. Basically, a charter school is a public school that is run "for-proift." Let's look at that again. In other words, charter schools run off of public money, (tax dollars) but are run "for-profit". Private corporations get to profit off of our tax dollars while educating our children. What could possibly go wrong there? Remember, this is a state where the former Senate majority leader and the Speaker of the state Assembly were both taken out in cuffs because of misuse of taxpayer dollars. Proponents of charter schools like Governor Cuomo will tell you that charter schools provide a choice, or alternative to the public school in a community. If the public school is failing, which according to our resident educational expert-in-chief, too many are, then parents now have a choice to take their children out of the "failing" public school, and put them in the thriving and successful charter school. Why are charter schools better? Well, for one thing, their teachers are not unionized. According to our public sector union hating Governor, union "intransigence", the refusal of our teacher's unions to negotiate changes in our public schools in good faith, has ruined our public school system.
- I always tell my children, you are judged by the company you keep. (TImes Union)
In order to have an honest conversation regarding the state of public schools in New York, and to take an objective look at what the Governor is trying to do regarding charter schools, we have to admit that there are plenty of public schools in New York State that quite honestly aren't cutting it. But the question of why that is has to be addressed. Is it simply because there are a lot of bad teachers who can never be fired? Well, it's not as simple as Cuomo and other opponents of public school teachers would have you think. There are of course bad teachers, and it's not easy to fire a union protected public school teacher, but it's not impossible. Charter school supporters say the union and the tenure system protects bad teachers, but that's not as simple as it sounds either. Tenure is awarded to teachers who earn it after three years. In that three-year period, a school is evaluating that teacher and deciding whether they are worth investing in. They can be let go at any time without explanation or cause, which sometimes isn't very fair either. But a teacher in a public school can be fired if the rules are followed and all the parties do their jobs correctly.
- Ark Charter School in Troy, one of several capital region charter schools that did not turn out to be improvements over the public schools. (Times Union)
Most of us have a decent idea of what constitutes a good teacher. But all teachers know that there is nothing more important than experience. I'll be the first to admit it took me until my third year before I really felt that I was beginning to get a handle on the job. Nothing replaces experience for a teacher. High teacher turnover rates are a tell-tale sign that a school has its problems. A tenured teacher may turn out to be lazy or ineffective which is unacceptable to be sure. But constantly breaking in new and inexperienced teachers isn't a fix to that problem by any means. Yet, that is exactly what goes on in most charter schools. According to the New York State Department of Education, charter schools in New York City lose far more teachers than traditional public schools, with several losing up to half of their staff. Could it be the result of the fact that these schools are for-profit? Veteran teachers make more money. When the recession hit hard in 2009, many public schools were forced to make deep cuts in staffing. Veteran teachers who make more than less experienced teachers were spared thanks to tenure. Otherwise, far too many veteran teachers in New York state might have been out of a job. Let us also not forget that tenure is what allows a teacher to be objective and honest in their grading and evaluation of students. It allows teachers to resist pressure from the administration to pass students along if the teacher doesn't feel that student has earned it. Tenure also allows for academic freedom and independence. Social Studies teachers like myself don't have to worry about teaching something controversial and then finding themselves fired because a parent objected. In my HVCC Psychology class, my seniors can research and evaluate the idea that people are born homosexual vs. it being a choice. Could I do this exercise without tenure? Maybe. I'm lucky in that our administration allows us academic freedom, but not every district across this nation is as broad-minded.
(The Governor's view of a tenured teacher?) (Getty Images)
So, besides having non-unionized teachers, (a.k.a...unprotected), why else might a charter school outperform a public school? There is definitely a myth that has been propagated by the media that says that poor and underprivileged children wait and pray for deliverance and salvation from the public schools. They hope against hope that they will win the "lottery" and be chosen for the charter school, which, unfortunately can only take so many deserving children. That's a heartwarming story to be sure, but does it tell the whole story? In a public school, expelling a student, particularly if they are 16 or under, is nearly impossible, despite the fact that they have had a weapon, hit an adult, been caught bullying or sexually harassing another student, pulled the fire alarm, or any other transgression a young "prankster" might attempt to get away with in one of our much maligned and besieged public schools. That same student has every right to be educated until they are 21. Now, if a school is funded properly, (Something the governor refuses to do) they can set up alternative sites, or at the very least alternative programs. These programs have done a wonder for students (Including in my district) who do not thrive in a traditional classroom, but are more than capable of learning and achieving. But if a public school sees vital funds being drained away by a charter school, these programs are often the first to be cut. Do charter schools have to play by the same rules and "educate" every child who attends?
(All students can learn, but it doesn't mean they all learn the same way or at the same pace, a properly funded school can address these needs.....Governor) (You Tube)
The answer is no. Charter schools can expel students much more easily. According to the Washington Post, during the 2011-12 school year, the Washington D.C. charter schools expelled 676 students compared to just 24 in the Washington D.C. public schools. I guess that "Lottery Ticket" can be yanked away if little Johnny sets off a firecracker in the hall way. If you don't think this fact makes a difference in the way a classroom runs, then you've spent less time in a public school than Governor Cuomo.
What if instead of trying to drive struggling public schools out of business by setting up for-profit charter schools which line the pockets of corporations and drain resources from these often cash-strapped public schools, we turn all of these charter schools into alternative schools where students who struggle in a traditional classroom setting could learn skills that they could take into the world. They could learn math and science and english, but in ways that would help them if they wanted to be electricians, or plumbers, or work in the exploding technical field. Real life skills in a setting that befits their "unique" style of learning that turns them into achievers who actually like school and see a point to it. You would create jobs and a trained work-force. You could get local area businesses to provide grants and internships. Students who came from economically depressed homes could earn money while they work at these internships. This could be started in 9th grade. The grade where more "at-risk" students drop out than any other. Students who would have floundered their way into oblivion could now be placed on a track that would motivate them to succeed, thereby drastically reducing behavioral issues in the school.
Why not Governor? If you were really interested in saving our "failed" education system, these are the solutions you would be pursuing. Your move Governor.
(R-E-S-P-E-C-T...Just a little bit) (The Hoffman Collection)
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