AISD Board Split Over IDEA In-District Charter
Austin School Trustees with Superintendent Carstarphen at last night's school board work session. Photo by Nathan Bernier for KUT NewsAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Austin ISD Superintendent Meria Carstarphen has been trying to make the case for weeks and she did not stop at last night’s school board meeting. Carstarphen says the quickest fix the district’s most struggling campus – Eastside Memorial High School – is to contract with a charter school operator that will target children before they reach high school age.
“I don’t care how dedicated teachers are, or how great the leadership is, or how great the program is, if we are constantly sending kids to that high school reading at the third grade level as a norm, there is only so much magic you can make,” Carstarphen said.
The partner would be IDEA Public Schools, a charter district from the Rio Grande Valley. The plan would have them start teaching in Allen Elementary next year, then expand the program to Eastside Memorial the year after that, and keep growing as students age.
Some school board members are all for the proposal, including the one whose district encompasses the schools in question. Sam Guzman says he’s willing to support the plan, even if his some of his own constituents are against it.
“People have said to me, you’re going to have to run for reelection,” Guzman said. “I said, ‘I’m not doing this for political expediency.’ If I don’t get reelected, I don’t get reelected. I’m doing this for the children, and that’s the bottom line.”
But three school board members have been vocal in their hesitation: Robert Schneider a trustee from Southwest Austin along with At Large Trustees Tamala Barksdale and Annette LoVoi.
“I don’t think we’re there yet with this contract,” LoVoi said. “I don’t think it gives a promise to the students in [Sam Guzman’s] district that it’s going to be over and above what we’ve got.”
Specifically, LoVoi says a non-compete clause between the IDEA charter school and Austin ISD is too vague. She also says the price tag for the district is not plainly clear.
Trustee Barksdale said there was not a lot of community support. She cited a district survey showing only about half of those asked said they liked the in-district charter proposal.
But IDEA Public Schools founder and CEO Tom Torkelson was at last night’s meeting and tried to dispel their uncertainty.
“We’ve been one of the most scrutinized organizations in the history of Texas public education,” Torkelson said. “And what we really welcome too is shifting the conversation about meeting the minimum state standards and talking about what it’s going to take to get kids successful in a four year college or university.”
Later today, Torkelson will continue to trying to convert skeptics. He’s holding a public meeting at the Metz Recreation Center.
Meanwhile, opponents of the proposal are organizing a protest for Monday. That’s when the Austin ISD board will take a final vote on the contract with IDEA Public Schools.
As a graduate of Johnston High School in the late 90′s, and parent of students whom this proposed charter school will affect, I ask why doesn’t Dr. Carstarphen and the school board realize that the answers to improving the “Vertical Team’s” academic performance need not be sought from a charter school from the Rio Grande Valley. Why not look within your own district, amongst your own employees, at the higher performing schools in AISD and figure out what they are doing right and mirror those techniques at your lower performing schools. Austin is a progressive metropolitan city, with a very educated population and plenty of major high-tech companies to boot, so why would you think transposing a school system from the Rio Grande Valley, where agriculture and spring break tourism drive their economy, would really work in this town? Just my thoughts, but I’m sure people with doctorates have already thought all about this, right?
Dear Joe, VERY Well Put. Thank you!
My kids go to the current Eastside Memorial HS at the Johnston Campus. They are successful AP honor roll students, and they just want AISD HQ to stop Flipping their school !!!