Thank you for this opportunity. I’m Lucy Fischman, an educator and parent in Monroe County.
You have to decide whether this plan merits public funding. I don’t believe it does; let me explain why:
Our community stood up years ago and passed a referendum to support Monroe County public schools. Our taxpayers want to support MCCSC, and they hold our elected school board members accountable, even taxpayers who do not have children within MCCSC. If you authorize Seven Oaks, we will expect you, as authorizing board members, to be present in our community, to be responsive to county taxpayers’ concerns and to serve our students as well as MCCSC does. Will you really be able to do that? If you cannot do that - if you cannot be responsive to the taxpayers of Monroe County, then this plan does not merit public funding.
Charter legislation was intended to give alternatives to children who attend failing school corporations. MCCSC is an A school corporation. Our children are successful within their current schools, so, Seven Oaks is NOT needed, and this plan does not merit public funding.
Seven Oaks claims that there is a need for a classical model of education where children are trained in moral character and civic virtue. That need is ALREADY met by MCCSC, plain and simple. Please come to my school, Binford, or my son’s school, Summit and see how we embed character lessons into everyday life for our students - how they learn about and find examples of courage, citizenship, integrity, inclusion every day! This need to teach character is already met, therefore the Seven Oaks plan does not merit funding.
Finally, it’s this idea that Seven Oaks will center their teaching on civic virtue that I have a hard time with. MCCSC and RBB actually embody civic virtue: we have a democratically elected board of school trustees who answer to the taxpayers of this county. Seven Oaks wouldn’t have that. We have teachers who are not at-will employees. Seven Oaks wouldn’t have that. We teach any student who crosses our threshold how to think critically, a hallmark of educating citizens for democracy and civic life. We within the public schools embrace civic virtue, but a group of people who disregard the damage their school will do to the thriving community school corporation that is MCCSC do NOT exhibit a sense of civic virtue. Therefore, their plan lacks merit and should not be publicly funded. You should NOT authorize this charter.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Return to Seven Oaks public comments page
You have to decide whether this plan merits public funding. I don’t believe it does; let me explain why:
Our community stood up years ago and passed a referendum to support Monroe County public schools. Our taxpayers want to support MCCSC, and they hold our elected school board members accountable, even taxpayers who do not have children within MCCSC. If you authorize Seven Oaks, we will expect you, as authorizing board members, to be present in our community, to be responsive to county taxpayers’ concerns and to serve our students as well as MCCSC does. Will you really be able to do that? If you cannot do that - if you cannot be responsive to the taxpayers of Monroe County, then this plan does not merit public funding.
Charter legislation was intended to give alternatives to children who attend failing school corporations. MCCSC is an A school corporation. Our children are successful within their current schools, so, Seven Oaks is NOT needed, and this plan does not merit public funding.
Seven Oaks claims that there is a need for a classical model of education where children are trained in moral character and civic virtue. That need is ALREADY met by MCCSC, plain and simple. Please come to my school, Binford, or my son’s school, Summit and see how we embed character lessons into everyday life for our students - how they learn about and find examples of courage, citizenship, integrity, inclusion every day! This need to teach character is already met, therefore the Seven Oaks plan does not merit funding.
Finally, it’s this idea that Seven Oaks will center their teaching on civic virtue that I have a hard time with. MCCSC and RBB actually embody civic virtue: we have a democratically elected board of school trustees who answer to the taxpayers of this county. Seven Oaks wouldn’t have that. We have teachers who are not at-will employees. Seven Oaks wouldn’t have that. We teach any student who crosses our threshold how to think critically, a hallmark of educating citizens for democracy and civic life. We within the public schools embrace civic virtue, but a group of people who disregard the damage their school will do to the thriving community school corporation that is MCCSC do NOT exhibit a sense of civic virtue. Therefore, their plan lacks merit and should not be publicly funded. You should NOT authorize this charter.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Return to Seven Oaks public comments page