Stan Jester
Board Of Education
District 1
On Monday, the school board passed the DATE charter renewal petition, but not before an interesting conversation and perspective on charters and failing schools in DeKalb.
McNair Elementary has failed children for a generation, had the lowest elementary CCRPI scores in the district in 2014 and is at the top of the Opportunity School District List. Many parents zoned to McNair choose to send their child to the DeKalb Academy of Technology & Environment (DATE) charter school located in Stone Mountain and whose scores are an improvement over many of the other choices.
During the DATE charter board discussion, I pointed out that charters like DATE with long waiting lists (300+ students) are indicators of things going well in DeKalb. The waiting list is a market signal to that they are doing something right. Demand for this school is higher than what they can handle. People are choosing this environment for their child. The school district should figure out what DATE is doing to attract parents to choose this school. That would help DeKalb build a road map to improve academic achievement at poorly performing schools.
Marlon Walker is the AJC reporter that covers DeKalb Schools and wrote the following article about the ensuing board discussion.
Questions of racial bias surface at DeKalb school board meeting
By: Marlon A. Walker – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The discussion began as the board considered the DeKalb Academy of Technology and the Environment’s application for charter renewal. Michael Erwin, who represents District 3, said it bothered him that applicants sometimes could not answer simple questions including why a charter was being sought.
“Personally, I’m more concerned about whether they’re more financially viable,” said board member Stan Jester, who represents District 1. “Are their [test] scores good? And I think the fact that there’s a 300-person waiting list tells me those parents are paying attention and they want to go into those schools. I mean, what’s the waiting list to get into McNair Elementary? It’s not 300 kids. The parents know where they want to send their kids.”
…
“If you’re not going to have equity and children are not treated the same and they’re not a Fernbank or somewhere else, would you be on a waiting list?” Morley said. “And we know what needs to be done. If you treat all the schools the same, make the buildings look the same, bring in the same people, give them the same kind of equipment … ”
Continue Reading at the AJC Online Here >>
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”