What does Fletcher Deserve? Radical Change.
Fletcher Community School has been one of the lowest performing schools in the state of Colorado. Fletcher Community School has a long history of underperforming despite multiple district interventions including seven years of pilot status. A quick glance at Fletcher’s performance on PARCC last year exemplifies the student achievement crisis at Fletcher: fewer than 15 of the roughly 130 students tested in 2015 met grade-level expectations on each the English Language Arts and Math exam. In response, at last Tuesday’s Aurora Board of Education Meeting, the Board discussed making bigger, structural changes to the school by converting it to a charter-managed school. This is a change A+ supports because in communities across the country we’ve seen it as the fastest way to provide a high-quality school option where the district has struggled to make any real progress turning around schools in the past. But at the meeting I saw that there was some misinformation about what this change would look like.
One of the most important parts of board meetings is public comment. This is the opportunity for community members to talk to their elected officials, share their hopes and dreams for their children, and inform decisions that will impact the education available to kids in the district. This is always powerful. And it should be: families in particular need to have a voice in determining the path forward in their child’s education. Last Tuesday, one Fletcher mother spoke out against the option to change Fletcher to a charter-managed school. She spoke with passion, the audience cheered when she finished, and she clearly communicated that she wanted the best education possible for her child who currently attends and benefits from the autism center on Fletcher’s campus. I was moved. I was also concerned that this mother who advocated for her child seemed to be missing some crucial pieces of information. Fletcher teachers and employees also spoke out against Fletcher’s conversion to a charter school, revealing several common misunderstandings about charter schools.
It is easy to be swayed by the many criticisms leveled against charter schools. They are compelling talking points:
Charter schools are not public schools! (False)
Charter schools only serve certain kids--no students with disabilities, English Language Learners, or students who are not on grade level! (False)
Charter schools have draconian discipline policies! (Depends on the school)
Let’s talk about why these are (or can be) misconceptions.
Charter schools ARE public schools.The primary difference between a charter school and a traditional district-led school is that charter schools have a different oversight model. Charter schools have a separate Board that oversees the school, and the school can determine things like curriculum, how teachers deliver content, and how the school spends its budget. That said, charter schools are authorized by the local school board, or in some cases, the state. This means that the local school board has a say over whether and how charter schools serve students in the district-- it is the local school board who sets the bar for quality, can define the students the charter serves, and holds the school accountable for upholding their end of the contract. This may seem like a complicated legal relationship, but the takeaway is that, charter schools are public schools. They are funded with taxpayer dollars, and are held accountable to the same standards all public schools across the state are held to.
Charter schools serve ALL kids. All students, including (and certainly not limited to) English language learners, students with disabilities, recently arrived migrant students, homeless students, can attend the school. Yes, in some instances, families must choose to attend charter schools, and any family has that right. Sometimes people argue charters “skim” students because families have to make the choice to attend. This may or may not be the case- it often depends on how school choice works in a district. However, in the case of Fletcher, the school will be a boundary school- meaning the school will to serve the same students the current school does.
The school culture in charters is incredibly varied. Let’s be clear: charter schools, like any public school, can suffer from poor leadership, low student achievement, and terrible discipline policies. I’m a Teach for America alumna, and in 2012 I applied to work at several charter schools and public schools and saw as many discipline policies as I saw schools. I ultimately taught at the Girls Athletic Leadership School, a Denver charter school, where restorative justice was the primary form of discipline--far from the picture of draconian discipline practices many people think about when they think about charter schools.
So what does all of this mean for Fletcher? Currently, Superintendent Munn suggests that Rocky Mountain Prep, a Colorado charter network, start to replace Fletcher one year at a time. Rocky Mountain Prep has two Denver campuses, both of which serve primarily low-income students of color, much like Fletcher Community School. The difference, however, is that where Fletcher had about 10% of its students meeting or exceeding expectations on PARCC, Rocky Mountain Prep had 42% (English Language Arts) and 48% (Math) meet or exceed expectations on PARCC.
We applaud superintendent Munn for his deep consideration of many options for dramatically increasing student achievement at Fletcher, and are heartened by the school board’s willingness to support him as he goes through a rigorous process to determine whether or not Fletcher will indeed be replaced by Rocky Mountain Prep. The choice to bring in new leadership and a new model represents high expectations for Fletcher’s kids. It represents the belief that under effective leadership Fletcher’s kids can and will demonstrate increased student achievement.
