Reconstitution as Charter: Models and Motivations

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Reconstitution as CharterModels and Motivations

• Alex Medler
• Prepared for the Education Commission of the
  States
• New Orleans
• November 18, 2004

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Many Players

• Superintendents
• Teachers in a program or school within a school
• Turnaround specialists
• Principals seeking resources
• States intervening

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Many Goals

• Protection
• Flexibility
• Resources
• Recognition
• Improvement
• Involvement
• (Rarely accountability)

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Models

• The Teachers Elementary
• Turnaround Elementary
• Supers Dream School
• Take-n-over Middle School
• Show Me the Money High

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The Teachers Elementary
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The Teachers Elementary

• Strengths
• Control Staff, budget, curriculum
• Reputation
• Experience with program
• Protection from political change above
• Fewer restrictions preventing fidelity of
  implementation
• Grow to meet demand
• Relations with district

• Challenges
• Skills to teach may not be adequate to manage
• Connection to district can constrain flexibility
• Possible control ceded to various stakeholders
• Affected school
• Collective Bargaining Unit

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Turnaround Elementary
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Turnaround Elementary

• Strengths
• Recruiting Great Leader
• Existing staff
• Flexibility empowers them to do even more
• Existing facility and student population
• Relationship with district

• Challenges
• Existing staff
• Do they need the charter to do this/what would
  they do regardless?
• Existing condition and track record
• Relationship with district

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Supers Dream School
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Supers Dream School

• Strengths
• Access resources reserved for charter
• High-level political support
• Existing facility

• Challenge
• Real power ceded to governing board or
  principal?
• Is vision shared broadly?
• Relationship to district could limit innovation

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Take-n-over Middle School
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Take-n-over Middle School

• Strengths
• Involved community
• High-level interest in success
• Additional resources
• New clock for accountability(?)
• Likely resources of groups bidding

• Challenges
• Community politics
• Concerns over giving away our school
• Track record of poor performance
• Heightened accountability/attention

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Show Me the Money HighorThe All our schools
are charters district
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Show Me the Money HighorThe All our schools
are charters district

• Strengths
• Already a functioning school
• Facilities, staff, students, programs
• Get new resources
• Relationship to district and its resources

• Challenges
• No real vision
• No real buy-in (staff leaders)
• Likely to end with change in district leadership
• Resources lost from other/real charters

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Questions for Policymakers

• Which do you want?
• How can you tell which it is?
• What can you do to
• Encourage those you want?
• Discourage those you dont?