Saturday, February 13, 2010

Girls Prep Charter and District One: Who is at risk?

by Lisa Donlan (UPDATED WITH VIDEO FROM FEB. 11 Hearing)

NYS Charter Law indicates that the purpose of creating new charter schools across the state is, among other goals, to:

•Increase learning opportunities for all students, with am emphasis on at-risk students,

The schools that DoE has identified as sites for Girls Prep co location (incubated in PS 15 in Manhattan in 2005 and moved to PS 188 in 2008) are serving a much more significant proportion at-risk students more consistently than Girls Prep does.

In 2009 GPCS, under the guise of a charter renewal, has decided to expand by 3 grades and an additional section or class on each grade.

PS 94 a D75 autism school that is spread around in disparate classrooms in cubbies and corners and top floors of 4 different d One schools has 9 classes on the 5th floor of the PS 188 building 5th floor .

. The GPCS expansion will pare the P94 4-8th grade autism program down to the minimum a program can sustain and still exist- just 5 classes. With one room left for other essential services which include a sensory room , a tech lab and theater classes.

Just so the favored child, GPCS can grow.

It is hard to understand but the P94 school has had to move 5 times in 5 years.

That is right- kids who are very sensitive and have difficulty reacting to changes in routine have moved 5 times in 5 years. The last time was 2 years ago so that GPCS could move into PS 188. To do so, GPCS revised their charter to a K-5th, with 2 sections per grade.

Now that their brand new CMO ( PublicPrep- that includes Eva’s husband and Spencer Robertson’s wife) that takes 7-10% of the NYS dollars the school receives has declared its mission to open a new single sex academy every two years from 2009- 14 (don’t worry, Boys Prep is coming to Harlem soon!) a rapid influx of dollars is needed.

If you read Malcolm Gladwell’s recent article in the NYEr you know that the supposed risk-taker entrepreneurs actually don’t take risks at all- they bet on the sure that the other guys just don’t see yet. In this case the sure thing is OUR tax dollars1

Meanwhile PS 188 has already given up after school programs, adult ESL classes and PT and speech are in the hallway or in the back of other classes.

Special ed is now roaming on a cart.

But look at the numbers- GPCS hardley serves any District kids – it is a commuter school; no ELL's and kids w/IEPS for SETTS- speech and tutoring, mainly.

Who is at risk here?

Tell me how they get away with calling THIS a civil rights issue!


DISTRICT 1 SELECT DEMOGRAPHICS 2009


District One

averages

Girls Prep

P.S. 188

P.S. 15

Total enrollment

11,653

263

396

235

% Charter

Students

11%

100%

-

-

SC Classes

69

0

1

3

CTT Classes

76

0

6

1

IEPS

23%(ES)/29%(MS)

7%

22%


SC/CTT

15%(ES)/21%(MS)

0

15%

18%

% ELL

12

0

23%

21%

% Title One

80%

65%

(50% free lunch)

93%

97%

#/ =%STH

4%

4=2%

70=18%

24=11%

% in district


38%

90%


% out of district


62%



% Hispanic

48%

41%

64%

58%

% Black

19

55%

33%

30%

%Asian

19


3%

8%

%White

13

2%

1%

3%

%Am Indian

1

0

0.3%

0.5%

Girls Prep Charter Code of Values include:
show respect for others
support those who need help
value others as learners, teachers, leaders
choose to do the right thing (even when no one is watching)
work together to make the community better
ASK PERMISSION TO USE OTHERS BELONGINGS




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