[Peace] Charter schools

[Brian Dolinar]

Nice article by Karen.  BD

Champaign schools failing community
Tuesday January 16, 2007

The white community is lacking information about charter schools. This
is important for Champaign residents right now. (I am white, so be
appropriately offended).

Charter schools are public schools, not private. The proposed charter
school would have specialized in reading. These schools can deliver
superior education to the target community in their specialty (read
the Harvard Report). These schools offer smaller classes and more
individual attention than conventional public schools.

The conventional public schools are failing the African-American
community, and the white community, the Latino community and everyone
else, and most unfortunately, the Champaign school district is forcing
each community to find its own solutions. Middle-class parents are
putting their kids in private schools or are home schooling. The
poorer communities do not have this luxury. This is not just isolation
by race, but also by poverty and language.

The Champaign school board needs to communicate with the families it
serves. Having their lawyer talk for them is not communication. It was
a lack of communication that led to the school district being sued,
not a lack of lawyers. Work with the people. They have great ideas.
Assign two board members to improve proposals brought to them. Or
better yet serve the community better so charter schools are not
needed.

Paying for good education for all is a preventative investment. We
should be keeping an eye on our school board: we elected it, it works
for us. When it makes mistakes, we pay dearly.

KAREN EVANS MEDINA

Champaign

-- 
Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
303 W. Locust St.
Urbana, IL 61801
briandolinar at gmail.com