Charter School Wants To Close Achievement Gap
Dan McGowan, GoLocalNews Contributor
Charter School Wants To Close Achievement Gap
The organization, Achievement First, runs a nationally recognized network of 19 charter schools in New Haven, Bridgeport, Hartford and Brooklyn. Achievement First was one of only a handful of groups that submitted applications to open new charter schools to the Department of Education earlier this month.
Bill Fischer, a spokesperson for both the Rhode Island Mayoral Academies and Democrats For Education Reform, said the fact that an organization as respected as Achievement First wants to come to Rhode Island is a testament to the education reform movement in the state.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“Rhode Island is very lucky they have an interest in coming here,” Fischer said. “If it hadn’t been for the education reform that is already taking place, high level charter management organizations would not want to come here.”
Closing The Achievement Gap
According to Achievement First’s website, one of the organization’s schools, Amistad Academy in New Haven, has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as being one of seven schools in the country that are “models for closing the achievement gap.”
In New York, 4th graders at the Achievement First schools outperformed the entire state in math and English. Meanwhile, 8th graders rated significantly more proficient in math and English than their neighborhood schools and performed only a few percentage points behind the rest of the state.
These results are precisely what the State of Rhode Island needs according to Rhode Island Campaign For Achievement Now Executive Director Maryellen Butke.
"Having Achievement First in our state would be a big win for Rhode Island students," Butke said. "It would put hundreds more students on the path to college."
Unions Raise Some Concern
But teachers union leaders say charter schools aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be and Governor Chafee has long suggested the state take a “thoughtful pause” when it comes to charter schools.
Rhode Island raised the cap on charter schools to 35 last year, but there are currently only 15 schools operating.
One of the concerns, according a teachers union source, is that charter management organizations often come in and “hold school districts hostage” for more money. The source pointed to the case of Democracy Prep, the original Mayoral Academy operator, which left Rhode Island this year following a financial dispute.
“We all want better schools,” the source said. “But there’s a difference between what those schools want and our schools want. They’re primarily focused on turning a profit. We’re primarily focused on teaching children to read and write.”
A Ripple Effect
Fischer called Democracy Prep leaving the state an unfortunate situation, but said that shouldn’t be a factor when the Board of Regents decides on Achievement First’s application. He said the organization is too respected not to be welcomed to the state.
If the Board of Regents were to deny the application, Fischer said the state could face repercussions, including the potential of losing some or all of its Race To The Top money.
Fischer added that he understands the arguments made against charter schools and knows they aren’t the solution to every problem. Still, he is confident Achievement First would be a great asset to Rhode Island.
“Just because it’s a charter doesn’t mean it’s a good school,” Fischer said. “But Achievement First has a proven track record.”
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