So what about Baker Kurrus' argument that a charter school in west Little Rock would compete with Terry Elementary, a school that's doing so well that somebody really oughta be taking notes?
Baker Kurrus, the superintendent of Little Rock's schools, knows his stuff, so it's chancy to get into a debate with him. And he'll tell you that about 80 percent of the children at Terry Elementary are from low-income families. And despite that, 80 percent of the kids are doing well on state exams, and the school has an "A" rating from the state. So he wants to know why expand LISA Academy, and allow those folks to open up a charter school down the street from a public school doing so well?
The first answer is that there are almost a thousand kids on a waiting list to get into the LISA program. And kids should come first.
The next thought is: Wait a minute. It seems as though Superintendent Kurrus is assuming that if he "loses" any students to LISA, that will hurt Terry Elementary. Apparently something is going very, very right at Terry Elementary. When was the last time you heard of a traditional public school with so many low-income students getting an "A" grade from the state? That's not unheard of, but it certainly isn't expected--and it's great news. The principal and teachers at Terry Elementary are onto something. Once again, somebody oughta be taking notes--and sharing those notes with everybody else.
If any child leaves Terry Elementary to go to LISA--and that might be a big if, considering Terry Elementary's success--then wouldn't that open up space . . . at Terry Elementary? That is, for another student, possibly another low-income student, who'd go on to meet all the challenges those fine educators at Terry are dishing out? And get such a good education there that he or she could join that 80 percent scoring so well.
Sure, LISA Academy has a record of outstanding academic performance, too. There's that waiting list. And don't forget, a charter school in that part of the city would give more students in private schools, or even those schooled at home, a chance to go to a wonderful public school--without having to pay tuition.
But it would seem that nobody at Terry Elementary, or the district's front offices for that matter, should be afraid of that charter school, or any charter school. Not in west Little Rock. Not with Terry Elementary's proven record of success.
In fact, one wonders: How many kids are, or would like to be, on the waiting list for Terry Elementary?
In a related item, word comes that the school board in Fort Smith just this week voted to endorse--endorse!--a charter school in the city that would draw from kids in that city. Usually school boards oppose charter schools, vigorously. The best most charters can hope for is that a school district remains neutral.
But those running the schools in Fort Smith decided to support this new Future School of Fort Smith. As if the kids were a higher priority than the district.
Quite a contrast to most school boards, don't you think? Somebody in Fort Smith should be taking notes, too. And perhaps passing them to other school districts around the state.
Editorial on 10/03/2015