Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion They're trying to close my son's school!

I've been on here tooting our horn for the last six weeks about how awesome school has become for DS7. Super fantastic, wonderful and any other word you can think to insert....

Went to a PTO meeting last night and found out that legislation is being introduced into the next state session regarding cutting what is known as the "small school formula" from next years budget. Without this funding, 42 of the 71 charter schools in our state will be forced to close.

Although I've never lobbied, I need to learn. This takes advocacy to a new level. I need advice and lots of it! The session starts the last week of January, so that's my time frame. HELP!

I'm not sure if I have located the right information but if the cuts you talk about are apart of this study you might want to start here:

http://www.nmschoolfunding.org/

The results link gives PDFs which gives you the data as well as those involved.

Questions: are you going this alone? Is the charter community willing to take on the fight? You are looking to lobby which means you will have to be a voice for a cause and the more voices you can channel the better.

1. Research the proposal. Talk to the administration of not only your charter but others. The more the better. Find out the structure of budgets for these schools. Some charters have private funding while some are an extension of the public schools. How is your charter structured?
2. Once you have all the research and the answers to your questions; contact the media. Your voice needs to be loud and public. Lay the groundwork to show the hardship this will cause.
3. Charters are getting national attention right now due to Oprah and her donations to 6 schools across the country. As the topic heats up about the national crisis in education it is the charter schools that are held up as the schools to mimic. Might be an angle for you to exploit.

I will think about this some more but a little more info would definitely help. The site I reference... Is your school effected by this specific study or is it another one?

I would look into the following (I'm sorry I don't have any details myself):

1. find out who/what is really behind this legislation. e.g., is it a union thing? or does someone really believe that larger schools are more cost-effective? What is the political angle here - is it anti-charter - or is this really just a budget issue. What are the chances it would pass.

2. somewhere along the way, recently, I could swear that I read an article discussing small schools as being more successful academically than large ones. If such research does exist, that could be very useful. (maybe that's the link in the PP I hope?)

3. along the lines of Katelyn'sMom's post, look at the funding for your school - how much public funding do they recieve? How much per student? What would it cost the district/state/public if those students all matriculated at their neighborhood public schools instead? I think this is an immensely important issue in your advocacy, whether or not this is a budget issue or a political issue masquerading as a budget issue. Our large district, for example, has around 10 charter schools, and our district has experienced a ton of growth in the past decade to the point where several of the elementary schools are on 4-track calendars, etc. Our district would not be able to accommodate the charter students in neighborhood schools if the charters were to close suddenly - both because they don't have the physical facilities and because it would cost more per student (our charters pay for their own facilities, usually out of donations, and transportation is borne by the parents). The district recently executed about a 10% budget cut and is hurting, as are many school districts.

3. consider what could be done if the legislation passes and public funding is eliminated - could it be turned into a private school via some sort of fundraising? This would be a major undertaking, but if you find the right "in" with local philanthropists, it's possible.

that's my quick two cents

I just want to say sorry this is your situation and good luck.

Oh, that is terrible.

Re: the charter school fight - I would say be careful. 80% of charter schools perform no better or worse compared to traditional public schools. I believe in charter schools that work, but if I was fighting this battle, I would focus on the special things about your school or small schools, etc. and maybe not focus on charter schools per se. Of course this depends on many things, and each state and situation is different.

Educate yourself and then get some well spoken people together, including some kids, and start making appts. with your state reps.

Good luck.

Our school is chartered by the state. It is a public school and is funded entirely as such. In last years SBA testing, my son's school was number 1 in the state for science, number 3 in math and number 1 overall for the entire state.

I hear what you are saying about the performance of charters in general and it is true that many of the schools affected by this are schools with poor performance. That is one of the things i'm considering in determining whether or not to try and form some sort of parent coalition.

The problem with writing to my state reps is that it's an election year and I don't know who will be in office come November.

Shari,
I'm sorry! It sounded like your ds was well placed at his school.
Chrys

Sorry to hear, Shari.

All the best! With the school's stats the way they are, if anyone stands a chance, they do.

This is a legislative fight.

You need to find out who the allies are and who the antis are.

You also need to understand how the process works in NM.

You need to understand who wrote that policy, how the policy got started, etc.

IMHO the charter school movement coalition is an extremely broad one. Properly organized and with the right information and targeting the right people, you'd be successful.

I know that in Texas that one-on-one meetings with legislators works very well. Groups that can motivate polite, well-reasoned, and well-spoken people from each legislators districts to meet with that legislator do very well. If you can get 50 people from EACH legislators district to meet their legislator on the topic one-on-one while generating a few white papers laying out why the new proposed policy is not better, then you have a very good chance of winning.

BWBShari - just curious. how is it going with the school issue.