Putting Central Falls in context
We all know about the plans to fire and replace teachers at the struggling Central Falls in Rhode Island. But it turns out this event is part of a bigger and more interesting story.
First, the district is increasingly going charter. There are already five charters serving city kids; next year more than 10 percent of students will be in charters and that may double in the next few years.
Second, Rhode Island Mayoral Academies is a nontrivial player in this all. RIMA works with the state’s mayors to set up high-performing charters by recruiting human capital and providing a range of services. The first mayoral academy, Democracy Prep Blackstone Valley, is open and enrolling students from four districts including Central Falls (Democracy Prep began with a successful school in Harlem). A Democracy Prep middle school will open next year, and a second elementary school could be on the way. It looks like even more great new charters are imminent: through a partnership with RIMA, Achievement First intends to expand to RI soon.
Many have explained the Central Falls shake-up as a result of the Obama administration’s focus on meaningful interventions for failing schools and/or the state’s desire to show gumption leading up to the Race to the Top competition. But perhaps this new schools push is also relevant. Not only do new entrants provide a bit of competition, more importantly, high-performing new schools show what’s possible, raising the expectations of everyone involved. In other words, meek interventions for failing schools become untenable options.
Mike Magee, the head of RIMA (and, incidentally, brother to and brother-in-law of two top-flight ed reformers), seems to concur that all of these threads are intertwined. “I think Commissioner Gist and Superintendent Gallo believe that it would be a mistake to take a narrow, make-or-break approach to turning around chronically failing schools. They have embraced the idea that high-performing public charter schools are a vital part of the solution.”
To his point, RIMA plays a significant role in Rhode Island’s RTT application.
For me at least, these heretofore unreported contours shed valuable light on the Central Falls situation. They also provide an important takeaway for those working on addressing America’s lowest performing schools: whether through RTT, SIG, or other initiatives, a new schools strategy is a critical component of the overall plan.
–Andy Smarick
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March 10th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
so, you’re saying this could all have been a set-up by the ED “reformers” as a way to bust open the union in rhode island?
is this the context you want to hint at here? i wonder why this is “heretofore unreported”?
it’s an elaborate ruse, meant to enrich those who are “incidentally, brother to and brother-in-law of two top-flight ed reformers” what! where does it end?
and by the way – here’s the reporting: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Hannah%20Bell
March 10th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
this is great news for the students of central falls. give them choice in what school they attend, and they would have long left CF high!
March 11th, 2010 at 10:35 am
As long as the expectations are raised, the students are taught effectively and their achievement improves, I don’t care what school– charter, traditional, private, virtual, etc–teaches them. I am a big fan of competition, so I say “bring on the charters!”
March 11th, 2010 at 10:49 am
Was any charter operator interested in running Central Falls High School?
March 11th, 2010 at 10:54 am
For that matter, what’s the argument for the existence of the Central Falls school district. Why shouldn’t it be integrated into one of the higher performing suburban districts which border on it. There is no reason to have a 1 square mile school district.
March 12th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
I’m interested in observing the discussion is framed as if charter schools were effective as such. No evidence has been presented other than charter-funded think tank wishful thinking. At this point the Heritage Foundation flacks are a yawn and the Competitive Enterprise Institute is positively pestilential.
March 13th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Andy–so great how you fail to report information that contradicts your efforts to enrich your friends. Your “concern” for the children that masks your efforts to build your influence, power, and money is sickening. Do the kids a favor and shut this propaganda site down and go teach in an urban school.
March 15th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Actually, this explains exactly what’s been going on in Central Falls, assuming, like most New England charters, that the RI charters aren’t responsible for a cross-division of student population. If the local charters, as they often do, have skimmed the Central Falls student population, then we have a clear warning of exactly what happens when there’s no regulation of charters around student admissions. The kids most in need are left behind.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
I do not want my tax dollars lining the pockets of some fat cat educational management company board chairman. Take back our schools! Here’s a great slogan: Charters the most undemocratic idea since communism. We’ll give you choice but at the cost of losing locally elected control of your schools.
May 14th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
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