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District OKs charter school The board also provides funding; it might open as early as this fall. By Dana Haynes The 21st Century Schoolhouse — the brainchild of South Salem High School teachers Andrew Goldstein and Molly Kellar — is set to open this fall and will focus on students at risk of dropping out. “This is a good one to start with,” said board member Bart McElroy, making reference to the other charter school proposals the district is expected to see. “Everyone’s taking a risk here,” said Craig Smith, board chairman. “But we’re all doing it because it’ll be good for a segment of our students.” A charter school is privately operated but receives public money. This one is structured around involving students in three principles: local activities, such as volunteer work in the region; community education through speaking to business leaders and lawmakers; and global collaboration with students from 11 nations, mostly via the Internet. The new school’s board of directors includes Raul Ramirez, Marion County sheriff. He praised the district’s school board for acting so quickly. “This is exciting. The school board is making a statement that the value of education — for every student — is important to them.” Organizers said they were surprised by the board’s discussion, which included no dissent. “I didn’t know how to read what would happen,” said Goldstein, after wading through a gauntlet of hugs and high fives as he left the board room. “The real work begins now,” he added. “But that’s the fun work. That’s why we’re teachers.” The only controversy in the proposal was the request for $73,000 in the first year, to pay for rent on a downtown Salem site and staff support services. That request is scheduled to decrease each year for three years and disappear in the fourth year of operation. Lavonne Lobert-Edmo, president of the Salem Education Association, praised Goldstein and Kellar, as well as the school’s curricula. But providing extra money for a charter drew sharp criticism from the union. “Don’t take money from currently underfunded programs to fund a charter school,” she said. “If there is money to be given, give it to our existing programs.” Janet McIntire, president of the Salem-Keizer Association of Classified Employees, echoed that. “It’s a leaching off of general funds,” she warned. But board member Mark Adams dismissed the argument. “When I look at what we spend for one portable classroom, I can easily see us spending $73,000 for this project.” Goldstein and Kellar said they’ll remain on full-time status at South through the 1999-2000 school year, working on the schoolhouse project during their spare time and on vacation days. The tasks include getting the word out to the community, establishing a lottery system for the student body, setting up a time line, hiring staff and finishing the curricula, Kellar said. The new school would be the first Salem-Keizer charter school established under a law passed by the 1999 Legislature. Howard Street Charter School has existed for three years, but it isn’t a true charter school as defined under the 1999 law. For instance, at this time, Howard Street is not eligible for the federal grants that new charter schools may receive. |
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contact: school@communityschoolhouse.org |
The
21st Century