Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, Harvard University
September 2003
One of the great things about charter schools is that they provide an outlet for passionate parents and committed educators to shoulder real responsibility for helping children learn. Yet passion and commitment can turn to frustration and resentment when things get tough. This Hauser Center case study of the Brooklyn-based Community Partnership Charter School is apposite. The protagonists were well-educated parents who germinated the idea and ultimately gave birth to the school; a local family foundation committed to helping provide "outstanding education to an underserved population"; hired school leaders and teachers; and the State University of New York (SUNY), which issued the charter in 2000. The founding parents sought to create a school that was "more progressive and child-centered" in its educational approach and "more economically and racially diverse" than those in the neighborhood. They also reached out to the Beginning with Children Foundation for support. An administrator was hired to "meld the Beginning with Children Foundation philosophy with that of the parents, and bring it all together to get a charter approved by SUNY." It quickly became clear, however, that the Foundation's need for accountability and desire to replicate a "proven model" conflicted with the progressive, "crunchy granola" approach of the parents. The differences seemed bridgeable at the start but less so as time passed; as the Foundation invested more money in the school, it sought more control and the parents felt more alienated. Stuck in the middle were the school's director and the teachers. In time, the teachers sought a "voice" on the school's board and even considered the need for a union. This story isn't over, but the case study - reminiscent of the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan's celebrated Maximum Feasible Misunderstanding - makes sober reading for anyone with dreamy notions about starting new schools (or new anythings). The report is not available online, but if you're interested in tracking down a copy for yourself, email [email protected].
