Monday, June 9, 2014

"Who does this charter school belong to, anyway?"

I am fortunate to have worked at two different charter schools in several different capacities.  I am also the parent of children who attended a charter school where I worked as an assistant director.  I was one of a group of people that helped start a second one - a dual language Montessori school.  I currently work at the school as their school counselor.  Starting that school and my involvement with it over 15 years has been a defining work in my life.

In North Carolina, where my charter school operates, charter schools are independent public schools.  Even though North Carolina has had charter schools since 1997, many people are still confused about this.  In North Carolina, charter schools must abide by many groups of regulations that govern traditional public schools.  These include enrolling children without charging them any tuition or fees, abiding by the NC Open Meetings Law, fiscal compliance including yearly audits, attendance laws, federal special education laws, federal student privacy laws, teacher licensure, and state accountability (testing) standards.  Charters have freedom that traditional public schools do not in how they spend state and local resources (federal money is still subject to restrictions on how it is used), the type of faculty members they employ (not everyone has to be licensed), and class size.

In 2001 the North Carolina State Board of Education approved our Charter plan.  That plan became a contract between our Board of Directors and the State of North Carolina. The Department of Public Instruction oversees our school and out charter plan.  In summary, our charter (contract) boils down to the operation of a K-8th grade school that uses the Montessori method of instruction (pedagogy) that provides dual-language education in English and Spanish.  This contract, or charter, is the essence of our school.

Recently, we have had some "troubles" at school.  Our current difficulties are not unusual in any school community, but has been a source of sadness for me, and for many other people who love our little community and who work hard to grow and develop it.  One particular email that was sent to the entire school community encouraged other angry parents to "take back our school."  That got me thinking about the "our" in that sentence.  Who is the "our," anyway?  I think it's important to look at each constituent group, starting with the Board of Directors.

Charter schools don't belong to the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors is the governing body and the ultimate authority within the school community, but they have restrictions.  In North Carolina, the Board of Directors of a charter school must oversee policy and procedure that serve to implement the contract between the school and the state Department of Public Instruction.  They must also oversee policies and procedures that meet federal, state and local laws and regulations.  They answer to the Department of Public Instruction and through that agency, all other applicable agencies.  They cannot decide to change the mission of the school, limit the types of students that can enroll beyond what is already in the charter, or anything else that fundamentally changes the school from the description that is outlined in the charter.

Charter schools don't belong to administration, staff and faculty.  I think a lot of charter school employees will tell you that they give up some tangible benefits for intangible ones in a charter school.  Often they are asked to do more with less, and may be asked to take on added responsibilities.  They might tell you that the trade-off is taking part in a community where they feel a bit closer to the people that make decisions that affect their daily work lives and the success they have with children.  Charter school employees are often the difference between an effective school and one that is struggling.  But the school does not "belong" to them.  They would be the first to tell you that they cannot function effectively without strong governance from the Board of Directors and a lot of help from parents.  Employees who feel differently are not going to be helpful to the community as a whole.

Speaking of parents, doesn't the school belong to them?  After all, they are the school's "customers."  Charter schools have a lot of parent involvement - of time, talent and treasure.  One of the indicators of the success of any school is its amount of parent involvement.  So shouldn't we do what the majority of parents want?  Well, I would agree that parents have a voice and that they should use it.  Constructively.  The Board of Directors must listen to parents and answer their concerns with as much speed and transparency as possible.  To do otherwise is to condemn a school to limp along.  The front door will be very active with people coming and then going.  On the other hand, parents have to realize that their decision to enroll their child at a charter school is a choice.  Part of the choice you made is to trust that a group of people can operate the organization effectively.  It is not the job of the Board of Directors to change the school just because a majority of parents want it.  Nor is it the job of the Board of Directors to allocate funds/hire and fire/create policy according to parent wishes.  The job of the Board of Directors is to allocate funds and operate the school in the manner that they believe will best fulfill the requirements of the charter.  If that is not happening, parents should complain within the school grievance structure.  If that doesn't work, they should complain to the agency that oversees the Board of Directors.

What about the people that started the place?  The founders?  Shouldn't we defer to them?  Well, no.  Anyone who has studied organizational theory knows that schools go through stages.  Often the people that were excellent at getting the place running are not so effective when things settle into a routine.  Especially if the original operation of the charter isn't working and needs to be changed or renewed.  New ideas and new people need to mix with the school history and "the way we've always done things" to create a vibrant school that is constantly moving forward.  Making those necessary changes can be met with resistance from folks who have been around for awhile.  So even though their input is valuable to keep from reinventing the wheel, the community should not be left solely in their hands.

So who is left?  That would be the entire community.  Charter schools also "belong" to the conditions of the contract between the school and the state that oversees its operation.  The Board of Directors has the responsibility to make sure that the school abides by that contract.  Faculty have the responsibility to implement the policies and procedures created by the Board and to contribute positively to their development.  Parents who choose the school for their children have a responsibility to make sure their child is safe and thriving, and that the Board of Directors are doing what they can to support the implementation of the charter.  Founders have the responsibility to be the keepers of experience and promoters of positive change. Although a charter school operates for the immediate benefit of the children enrolled each school year, it ultimately benefits the entire school community and indeed the larger local community.  That benefit to the larger community is why most societies provide free appropriate public education to their children; something that has been a strong tradition in the United States since the country began.  In essence, when everyone works together, the school becomes a strong independent entity that can accomplish marvelous things for the children it serves -  because nothing else is more important than that.

11 comments:

  1. Well said, Pam! I have been a grateful parent of this particular dual-language Montessori public charter school for the past four years. To do so, I choose to drive 40 minutes each way each day so that my children have the privilege of attending this singularly stellar K-8 school. The benefits to my children--cognitive, social, and emotional--are evident. Thank you for righting the record on pubic charters and for inspiring all of us to contribute to our school, to our children, and, by extension, to our larger society.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kristin! A 40 minute one-way drive is a testament to how well the school is serving your children. Thanks for being part of the adventure, and being willing to comment.

      Delete
  2. Excellent overview of charter school structure, Pam, and great comment, Kristin. I am also a parent at the wonderful school you each reference, and have taught in and served on the Board of Directors of another excellent, high-performing NC charter school. I've come to realize that great charter schools are defined largely by what they do *not* have - namely large budgets (charters receive slightly less government funding than traditional schools), great facilities (often charters lack permanent buildings, buses, lunchrooms, gymnasiums, formal extracurriculars), set textbooks or other curricular resources, etc. The lack of resources is often unfortunate, but one positive byproduct of this lack of resources is that it FORCES everyone involved to work together to overcome the school's shared challenges. Teachers are forced to innovate, to student's benefit. Parents are forced to get involved with teachers, to students' benefit. Students are forced to learn to adapt, to their own benefit. My point is that when you have a vibrant, respectful, and communicative school community, it can overcome the huge challenges inherent in being a charter school. Healthy, frequent communication among community members will lift a charter school up. Conversely, destructive communication (or lack of communication) can destroy even the best of charter schools. I hope that the school in reference is able to both improve communication and help community members realize the importance of appropriate dialog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Matt. I completely agree with you. Glad you are part of our community.

      Delete
  3. Well written Pam! I agree that every entity within a Charter School is important to its success. All parties must be respected and all parties must be allowed to communicate. It is not uncommon to see stadiums filled with supportive parents at sporting events but when I walk into a Board meeting, I usually see 2 other parents. One of the positive things about our latest "troubles" is seeing how involved parents are getting and how they really want to understand how the Board and Administration works. I actually decided to comment because I (really my daughter) was the lucky recipient of the crochet lessons from the Ebay auction and I was not sure how to contact you. Who knew that I would be able to read in writing what I have been trying to communicate for a while now, you say it so much better. As a parent I have enjoyed the freedom of choice that Charter schools have provided, but with that comes the responsibility of choice, as you have made a conscious decision placing them rather than the being placed. I guess the question that I have been wrestling with most recently is : How long can a school limp along before the healing starts? And what point do you have to face that a recovery will never happen?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oops! Did not mean to reply as anonymous. How else would you know who won the crochet lessons! You can contact me at jmattie@msn.com. I hope you have a great summer.

      Delete
    2. I am looking forward to the crochet lessons!

      Thanks for the thoughtful post. You are asking two big questions, and they are on my mind as well. Perhaps I am too much of an optimist, but I believe that as long as a school is operating a safe environment that is making a positive difference for the majority of the children that are enrolled, it can always recover from set back. However, schools can "limp along" for a very long time. I have been a parent at a school where the limping along was affecting my children, and we had to find another place for them. That school is now very strong and I do not hesitate to recommend it to people who are looking for what it offers. I think if I were a parent or faculty member in the community, I would want to know what the charter says, and I would want to know how the current budget is constructed. Then I would begin asking questions about things I didn't understand. The school mission is posted on the school's website. I'm not sure where the current budget can be found, but it's a public document and can be requested. In my mind, healing comes from understanding. I'm glad you decided to comment, and I'm glad you are part of our community.

      Delete
  4. I think you did a wonderful job of explaining the basics of a charter school. My concern is though if the support salaries are so high, and the board elects itself and there is no way for parents to talk about it, is it really going to be addressed. I think teachers not support staff are the heart of any charter school, and I am nervous we have lost so many good teachers over the last few years especially those with Montessori training. How do the parents come together to get some answers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the compliment. Because this is a highly public forum, I won't get into specifics about various positions at school. I hope that doesn't seem like a dodge. However, I think there is an incomplete picture of some of the things you mention in your comment, so I will say four things:
      1. Any position at a public charter school should be justified with a description of the responsibilities and a salary range. Notice I did not say individual salary. Those descriptions and salary ranges should be available. I know that for teachers we try to meet the salary tables published by Wake County. I think any and all raises or changes to contract should become part of the public record in a percentage form. ie: We are giving (x position or positions) a 3% cost-of-living increase over last year, or we have added the following three responsibilities to (position y) and therefore the salary is increasing by 10%.
      2. We have indeed lost some good teachers, but we also have several new ones who are excellent. Two of those folks will take Montessori training this summer. Teachers leave schools for a variety of reasons, not just salary.
      3. Schools cannot operate without appropriate infrastructure (in this case I mean support staff). That means people who are well-qualified to deal with non-classroom issues including things like money, attendance, and human resources. Since charter schools are in a way a school district all to themselves, there are extra support requirements for a charter than there might not be at a typical WCPSS elementary/middle school. Even taking that into account, when I worked for a WCPSS middle school with 650 students, support staff included a business manager, school secretary, guidance secretary, attendance secretary, facilities manager, and a receptionist. Those were all full-time positions. Human Resources was not handled at the school at all. Neither was grant administration/fundraising. We do everything that those six people did plus the human resources and grant/fundraising with three people.
      4. We also have a paraprofessional in every grade up to middle school.

      Do I wish we had more money for salaries? Absolutely.

      As for the other concern you have, yes, charter school boards are self-selecting. One of the checks we have in our by-laws is that the BoD at Casa needs to have a certain percentage of people serving who are not parents. Best Practice has shown that this is one important way to keep the school on mission and minimize conflict of interest. No, it doesn't always work perfectly. But Charter school boards are always looking for new recruits inside and outside the school, and Casa is no exception. Parents can be involved by helping to identify people they know in their social and professional circles who might be good board members.

      Delete
  5. I guess this is Diana Bush responding because there is no way Pam Seymour would know all this??? We have had over 30 teachers leave in the last few years. Sterling Montessori in RTP lost 2 this year and 2 last year. Something has to be happening to see that kind heavy of turnover. These are issues you can't gloss away. Is this your new secret way to communicate with the parent base???

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nope, no Diana here. This is all me. I know the stuff above because since I helped start the school in 2000, I have kept close track of what goes on, both as a Board member, and now as an employee - and always as a school founder. You can check out my involvement on Linked In. My profile is public www.linkedin.com/in/pamelameccaseymour. I also worked at Sterling and my children went to school there for many years. It's an excellent school. I have several friends there.

    ReplyDelete