I am Alex Tanford, an almost 40-year resident of Monroe County. My kids went to both Catholic school and the public schools. I am opposed to the application.
Whether to authorize a charter school should depend on three things: 1) whether there is a need for it, 2) the quality of the education and 3) the likelihood of success.
Many speakers have already pointed out that there is no need for the school. I want to address the other criteria -- quality and likelihood for success.
The proponents have repeatedly said you should let them try, and if they fail, they fail. That does not seem to be the right standard for approval. The question is whether the application shows that there is a good chance they can produce a successful, quality school. I have read it, and it does not.
There is no one on the list of organizers who has any prior experience as a school administrator or teacher. [Several supporters shouted things like “that’s right,” and “thank goodness.”]
They have no plan for where they are going to find teachers amidst a statewide teacher shortage.
There is no evidence there is anything close to 400 kids who want to go to this school.
They have an inadequate site plan, no transportation plan, no recreation plan, no lunch plan for kids who qualify for free lunches, no plan for social workers and speech and hearing assistance, no plan for building a library and hiring a librarian, and no plan for computer resources.
They have no clear financial plan for how they are going to raise funds to renovate the building, buy books for a library and purchase computers before they start receiving any state money. This is a plan that cannot succeed.
I went to regular public schools, and I, too, can speak Latin and quote Lincoln.
My favorite Latin phrase is “esse quam videri” -- to be, rather than to seem to be. They say they will teach civic virtue and democracy, but you can’t teach civic virtue by damaging the public schools and isolating your children from the community. And you can’t teach democracy by seceding from the union. One of the proponents quoted Lincoln but left out the second line of the Gettysburg address -- that a nation divided against itself cannot stand. This proposal has divided and harmed the community, and should be rejected on that ground alone.
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Whether to authorize a charter school should depend on three things: 1) whether there is a need for it, 2) the quality of the education and 3) the likelihood of success.
Many speakers have already pointed out that there is no need for the school. I want to address the other criteria -- quality and likelihood for success.
The proponents have repeatedly said you should let them try, and if they fail, they fail. That does not seem to be the right standard for approval. The question is whether the application shows that there is a good chance they can produce a successful, quality school. I have read it, and it does not.
There is no one on the list of organizers who has any prior experience as a school administrator or teacher. [Several supporters shouted things like “that’s right,” and “thank goodness.”]
They have no plan for where they are going to find teachers amidst a statewide teacher shortage.
There is no evidence there is anything close to 400 kids who want to go to this school.
They have an inadequate site plan, no transportation plan, no recreation plan, no lunch plan for kids who qualify for free lunches, no plan for social workers and speech and hearing assistance, no plan for building a library and hiring a librarian, and no plan for computer resources.
They have no clear financial plan for how they are going to raise funds to renovate the building, buy books for a library and purchase computers before they start receiving any state money. This is a plan that cannot succeed.
I went to regular public schools, and I, too, can speak Latin and quote Lincoln.
My favorite Latin phrase is “esse quam videri” -- to be, rather than to seem to be. They say they will teach civic virtue and democracy, but you can’t teach civic virtue by damaging the public schools and isolating your children from the community. And you can’t teach democracy by seceding from the union. One of the proponents quoted Lincoln but left out the second line of the Gettysburg address -- that a nation divided against itself cannot stand. This proposal has divided and harmed the community, and should be rejected on that ground alone.
Return to Seven Oaks public comments page