Corbett Charter School receiving more press

From the Oregonian:
Corbett adds charter school, irks neighbors

The Charter School Debate

Charter schools are a hot-button topic in our district.  Last month, the board approved an application for a new elementary charter school to open in the 2010-2011 school year.  (I will post more about this school in a future post).

Next week, the board will vote on a new 6th-12th grade charter school proposed by the Corbett Charter Association.  The Gresham Outlook has written an editorial about this charter proposal:
Move with care on latest charter proposal - Gresham Outlook

Having a Corbett charter school in the Reynolds District is an intriguing idea.

Some of the pros and cons of this charter school that have been presented to me and to the board, and that I am mulling over in making my own decision:

PRO:

• The Corbett District has an excellent reputation, particularly at the secondary level.  Would a partnership with Corbett help to increase our district's reputation?
  
• I have heard the argument that Corbett has such great results because of their demographics.  This would be an opportunity to see how their educational model would work in our district, with our student demographics.   
• Currently, there is no non-specialized charter school option for our secondary students.  (ACE and CAL have very specialized programs and target only a very specific population.  This would be an option for those students already in elementary charter schools, and hopefully draw students who would otherwise be going out of district for middle or high school.
• Having a charter could help relieve overcrowding at RHS.
  

CONS:

• Our district cannot afford another charter school.  The exact financial impact is difficult to determine.  The true impact depends on the number of students choosing to attend the charter who would otherwise attend a Reynolds traditional school - a figure very difficult to estimate until applications are received.  Also, if the charter school can partner with the district, for example, in renting building space, some of the cost to the district can be lessened. Dr. Fisher will be presenting the board with a financial analysis at our next meeting. 
  
• Our district already has enough charter schools.  We currently have 5 charter schools.  MLA and Arthur Academy are our two elementary charters.  Each of these schools has a specialized instructional and educational philosophy.  ACE and CAL are high school programs providing very specific programs.  The fifth charter is Kaplan, an online program for 6-12.  In September 2010 Knova will have another elementary charter school, which eventually will serve K-8. 
  
• Students leaving RHS will affect programs there.  
• Is the biggest draw to Corbett simply its reputation and being a "smaller" school?  Are there significant differences which could not be offered in current Reynolds schools?

The reasoning for every decision our board makes has to be focused on the education and best interests of all our students.  Do we have students who would be better served by having an option to attend a smaller middle/high school?  Would we be able to keep students in our district who would otherwise attend another district charter or choose private or home schooling?  Would the potential financial cost to the district affect the students remaining in our traditional schools negatively, and does this risk outweigh the benefits offered by a charter school?  Students should not be seen as a district commodity, but one cannot ignore the financial implications of these decisions.  These are questions all of the board members are wrestling with.