Confluence Academy
The Post-Dispatch published a great article today about Confluence Academy. These successful charter schools have seen enrollment skyrocket, so that now nearly 2,300 children attend the three schools. You can see why the St. Louis Public Schools feel so threatened by charters. They’re getting really big:
Confluence is now larger than many public school districts — nearly the size of the Clayton and Affton districts.
The interesting thing about this situation is that nothing is preventing SLPS from running its own Confluence Academy. This is a good time to review Caroline Hoxby’s remarks about charter schools. She points out that charter schools are not doing anything that it’s illegal for public schools to do. Nobody ever said traditional public schools couldn’t imitate the best charters, or pioneer their own innovations. They just don’t do those things.
So if SLPS really wanted to replicate Confluence Academy’s success, they could: teach Spanish to kindergartners; spend extra time on reading; offer more opportunities to study chess, poetry, and African step-dance; and teach a different character value each month. (At Confluence, this month’s value is compassion.) But SLPS isn’t looking for innovations like these, because in the past, its students have had no other school to choose. It didn’t need to attract students and show results.
Maybe SLPS will start trying new things as it faces more competition from charters. But even if it doesn’t, at least families will have options besides SLPS.
St. Louis public schools doesn’t do these things, because the state DESE will not permit it. There are plenty of experienced teachers who want these things, but have no say in the administration of our schools. Sarah, you are a bit of a hypocrite who doesn’t know the truth about the DESE stranglehold on SLPSS.
Comment by Jeanine — May 15, 2009 @ 3:03 p.m.
I’m not sure you understand the actual definition of the word “hypocrite,” Jeanine.
Comment by Eric D. Dixon — May 15, 2009 @ 3:37 p.m.
Don’t be fooled by numbers to Confluence Academy’s success. I taught at Confluence Academy and have seen the extra programs they use to draw in students. It is very unimpressive. They still teach Spanish, but I do not see any of the other listed programs. The classrooms are crowded and the teachers overworked. The teachers have to deal with very undesirable student behaviors in the classrooms. This causes the teachers to have to behavior more than they can teach. Most teachers are quite unhappy teaching for Edison Learning who runs Confluence Academy like a business. Teachers must clock in and face penalties, and possibly be discharged if they don’t. Many teachers are in constant fear of losing their job, and most only teach their for two years. Unfortunately, it is the students who are losing out. Don’t be fooled by their numbers, it is a poorly run charter school and they have never made AYP.
Comment by Michael — February 8, 2011 @ 6:38 p.m.