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Strings attached?
Two DPS charter schools recently covered here (Envision Leadership Prep and KIPP Denver Collegiate High School) were celebrated for the unique, creative building sharing arrangements within the district. Each school shares their DPS facility with other schools. Could it be too much to believe that DPS was sharing those facilities with no strings attached? Well, if something seems too good to be true, sometimes it is.
Today the Denver Post reports that big changes are underway for three DPS charter schools---one week after school reform seems to have taken a hit in the election. District officials have recommended that three charter middle schools, two new West Denver Prep campuses and Manny Martinez Middle School---all sharing district buildings---become "boundary schools", meaning that those schools must accept all students living within district boundaries of the school.
DPS superintendent Tom Boasberg was quoted as saying, "Charter schools are public schools, and they must be public schools in every sense of the word. Effectively, there will be absolutely no distinction between charter schools and district schools." Hmm. Isn't that the very idea behind a charter school---to have available choices, different from the other public schools?
Apparently the logic is that this move will subdue criticism that charter schools only cater to the highest performing students---let's see what they do if they have to take who walks in the door. Well, charter schools must do that already. This goes to the heart of one of the biggest myths about charter schools, that students are "hand picked". Charter schools are public schools and cannot, by law, discriminate.
It is telling to see what has happened within one week of an election. DPS has been fertile ground for charter schools (which include the two highest performing schools in the district). Is that already coming to an end? The Post article indicates this move may extend to four other charter schools already sharing district buildings.
In an article in Ed News Colorado, Jim Griffin, president of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, makes a good point about education choice. Griffin says, "Having parents choose a school is one of the most profound aspects of parental involvement."
This is something for parents and advocates in DPS to watch very closely. The board is scheduled to vote on these recommendations at the meeting on November 30th.
Also see Charter Schools Examiner, Should charter schools be neighborhood schools?
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