Comments on: Another Educational World Is Possible http://www.edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:46:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Eduwonk’s Blinders | Edwize http://www.edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible/comment-page-1#comment-65756 Eduwonk’s Blinders | Edwize Wed, 28 May 2008 01:34:19 +0000 http://edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible#comment-65756 [...] have been anything but shy in publicizing this point. In the past, we blogged on this very question when Rotherham’s friend Eva Moskowitz made the very same unfounded claim. But we could blog [...] [...] have been anything but shy in publicizing this point. In the past, we blogged on this very question when Rotherham’s friend Eva Moskowitz made the very same unfounded claim. But we could blog [...]

]]> By: Leo Casey http://www.edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible/comment-page-1#comment-7831 Leo Casey Mon, 07 Aug 2006 21:22:01 +0000 http://edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible#comment-7831 Surely someone who comments as often as you do, Ken, has read one of the many, many posts we have published on Edwize on the subject of the charter cap. Randi and the UFT have gone the extra mile, and then some, to indicate our willingness to increase the cap -- provided that is accompanied by protection of the labor and other rights of teachers in charter schools. That would ensure that we don't have happen to good charter school teachers <a href="http://edwize.org/do-charter-schools-need-unions">what happened to Nichole Byrne Lau and her colleagues</a>, and guarantee that teachers in charter schools have the ability to decide for themselves, without intimidation and harassment, if they want to have a union and bargain collectively. It seems that charter school advocates in NY State have decided that the cap isn't really that important after all, or not important enough to give teachers rights, because no one has taken us up on the public offer. Surely someone who comments as often as you do, Ken, has read one of the many, many posts we have published on Edwize on the subject of the charter cap. Randi and the UFT have gone the extra mile, and then some, to indicate our willingness to increase the cap — provided that is accompanied by protection of the labor and other rights of teachers in charter schools. That would ensure that we don’t have happen to good charter school teachers what happened to Nichole Byrne Lau and her colleagues, and guarantee that teachers in charter schools have the ability to decide for themselves, without intimidation and harassment, if they want to have a union and bargain collectively. It seems that charter school advocates in NY State have decided that the cap isn’t really that important after all, or not important enough to give teachers rights, because no one has taken us up on the public offer.

]]> By: curious3 http://www.edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible/comment-page-1#comment-7823 curious3 Sun, 06 Aug 2006 16:40:42 +0000 http://edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible#comment-7823 Hey Leo, I hope the UFT charter schools are tremendously successful. Why not support raising the charter cap (without any changes to the law otherwise) so that you can start more UFT charter schools? If you treat teachers better, why are you concerned with the competition from non-union charter schools? Won't the best teachers naturally gravitate towards your schools? Ken Hey Leo,

I hope the UFT charter schools are tremendously successful. Why not support raising the charter cap (without any changes to the law otherwise) so that you can start more UFT charter schools? If you treat teachers better, why are you concerned with the competition from non-union charter schools? Won’t the best teachers naturally gravitate towards your schools?

Ken

]]> By: NYC Educator http://www.edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible/comment-page-1#comment-7822 NYC Educator Sun, 06 Aug 2006 14:20:05 +0000 http://edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible#comment-7822 Not only is the DoE providing space for charter schools, but they're treating them far better than public schools. It's very hard for me to understand this process. My school is at 250% capacity, and billionaire Courtney Ross gets to reject sites for her charter. She then gets a plum of a site fixed up by NYC parents, with hundreds of thousands of their own dollars. The parents are branded racists for the crime of trying to preserve the school they helped create. Then Ross gets a state-of-the-art facility at Tweed. Meanwhile, my kids trudge through the rain and snow to trailers behind our bursting-at-the-seams building. Charters must not receive preferential treatment. Let Mayor Mike either find space for all kids, mine included, or cram his billionaire buddies' pet projects in with everyone else. Not only is the DoE providing space for charter schools, but they’re treating them far better than public schools. It’s very hard for me to understand this process.

My school is at 250% capacity, and billionaire Courtney Ross gets to reject sites for her charter. She then gets a plum of a site fixed up by NYC parents, with hundreds of thousands of their own dollars. The parents are branded racists for the crime of trying to preserve the school they helped create.

Then Ross gets a state-of-the-art facility at Tweed.

Meanwhile, my kids trudge through the rain and snow to trailers behind our bursting-at-the-seams building.

Charters must not receive preferential treatment. Let Mayor Mike either find space for all kids, mine included, or cram his billionaire buddies’ pet projects in with everyone else.

]]> By: Leo Casey http://www.edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible/comment-page-1#comment-7819 Leo Casey Sat, 05 Aug 2006 15:17:22 +0000 http://edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible#comment-7819 In New York State, charter schools are financed at 90% of what public district schools have. The UFT has committed itself to raising the difference, so that our school has the some financing as a NYC public district school. So consider our charter school to be a school that has the same income as the DOE would receive for a school for our size, but spends its money very differently. [We have commited ourselves to limiting the budget to the same amount of financing as a public district school, in order to make the point about how one uses money. When the CFE money finally comes through, for example, we would lower our class sizes further, below the current 25 per class at the secondary school. Klein and Bloomberg have stated rather different priorities for these funds.] An additional issue for some charter schools is the start up costs of facilities. In New York City, however, this is mitigated by the fact that the DOE is providing space in NYC public schools to charter schools. There are all sorts of problems that have come with this arrangement, given the nature of the DOE -- but it is still a major equalizer. In New York State, charter schools are financed at 90% of what public district schools have. The UFT has committed itself to raising the difference, so that our school has the some financing as a NYC public district school. So consider our charter school to be a school that has the same income as the DOE would receive for a school for our size, but spends its money very differently.

[We have commited ourselves to limiting the budget to the same amount of financing as a public district school, in order to make the point about how one uses money. When the CFE money finally comes through, for example, we would lower our class sizes further, below the current 25 per class at the secondary school. Klein and Bloomberg have stated rather different priorities for these funds.]

An additional issue for some charter schools is the start up costs of facilities. In New York City, however, this is mitigated by the fact that the DOE is providing space in NYC public schools to charter schools. There are all sorts of problems that have come with this arrangement, given the nature of the DOE — but it is still a major equalizer.

]]> By: joe http://www.edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible/comment-page-1#comment-7817 joe Sat, 05 Aug 2006 13:39:55 +0000 http://edwize.org/another-educational-world-is-possible#comment-7817 Could you elaborate on how your charter school are financed? How does the budget compare to a similar-sized DOE-run school? The UFT is making an effective demonstration that its work rules aren't the cause of NYC's troubled schools, but it does seem like you might be spending much more per student to both comply with the work rules and provide a rich and comprehensive environment for both students and teachers. If you are having the success you tout, please share how it's accomplished financially, so that other schools, both in NYC and elsewhere, can see how to allocate their money for maximum results. Could you elaborate on how your charter school are financed? How does the budget compare to a similar-sized DOE-run school? The UFT is making an effective demonstration that its work rules aren’t the cause of NYC’s troubled schools, but it does seem like you might be spending much more per student to both comply with the work rules and provide a rich and comprehensive environment for both students and teachers.

If you are having the success you tout, please share how it’s accomplished financially, so that other schools, both in NYC and elsewhere, can see how to allocate their money for maximum results.

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