More school bus woes in Columbus
Another week, another story of charter school students in Columbus getting woeful service from Columbus City Schools’ transportation department.
Why not charter schools?
The LeBron James-supported I Promise School got a ton of kudos this week when it was announced that housing—I Promise Village—for needy students and their families would be added to the services available next year. A detailed and interesting story from the Akron Beacon Journal discusses two other rare examples of such efforts across the country, including a boarding-style charter school in California.
Here to stay
The Buffalo News this week discussed ongoing efforts to turnaround low-performing district schools in the city. The tone of the piece was one of sadness that charter schools continued to “proliferate” during the turnaround work. But the director of the Buffalo Academy of Science, as you might expect, put it more positively: “The charter school sector is real,” he said. “I know there are a lot of people trying to ignore this fact, but the charter schools are here to stay as long as the education is not fixed in Buffalo.” Maybe even after that!
Maybe not here at all
The charter school sector in Kentucky is not real. At least not yet. But that didn’t stop River Cities Academy from attempting to be the first charter school to open in the Bluegrass State. They submitted a 939-page application to a local school district and even went so far as to court interested parents. A lack of local will, a lack of state funding, and a lack of support from the incoming governor will likely doom the nascent effort.
In Cleveland, the work continues
The Cleveland Transformation Alliance’s annual report touts some positives among its district and charter partner schools—pre-K, graduation rates, and third grade reading scores—but there doesn’t seem to be a lot to hang one’s hat on. Hopefully more substantial progress will come soon.
Relay Leadership Training event
KIPP Columbus is hosting a one-day training event on January 16, 2020, focusing on teacher observation and feedback. It is ideal for anyone who coaches at least one teacher or who will be preparing to coach in the coming year. Leaders will learn the four keys to effective observation and feedback, including locking in frequent and regular observations, identifying the one or two most important areas for growth, giving direct face-to-face feedback that practices specific action steps for improvement, and creating systems to ensure feedback translates to practice. In addition, leaders will have opportunities to practice skills by participating in simulations and video reviews. For more information or to register, click here. Registration is now live, with seats on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact Cecilia Shanahan with any questions.
