How to Compete With Charters
The St. Louis Public Schools are faced with a problem: how to compete with the new KIPP Inspire Academy. The superintendent’s strategy is to spend $1 million on marketing, in hopes that new logos and brochures will bring students back to the district.
I think he’ll learn that the only way to compete with KIPP is to beat it at its own game. Parents are impressed by KIPP education, not by promotional materials. The pictures in the article show the KIPP principal advertising the school by just walking around with a signup sheet and talking to people — hardly cutting-edge marketing. (I know, KIPP puts out advertisements, too, but its work canvassing neighborhoods is what really gets parents involved.)
The fact that advertisements alone won’t work doesn’t mean the district’s hands are tied. There’s nothing to prevent SLPS from starting its own KIPP-style school, accepting fourth graders. It could offer long hours, accelerated academics, and Spanish classes— like this KIPP elementary school in Houston. If families like it, they can stay on for fifth grade — no need to switch to the “real” KIPP middle school.
SLPS actually has an advantage over brand-name charters — it accepts students at all grade levels. The charter school startups are limiting enrollment to a few grades: KIPP is only taking fifth graders, and the language immersion schools are accepting kindergartners and first graders. SLPS just has to open comparably themed choice schools for a wider range of student ages, and the charters will be left scrambling to catch up.
I know SLPS can do it — I was so impressed by its Career Academy that I unquestioningly believed a report that it was a charter. District schools that look and act like charters won’t have trouble competing, because no one will be able to tell the difference.
Hello, I work in the SLPS and when the playing field is even and the political games are left out…..Our District has the capacity to literally run” circles” around any takers….Don’t be fooled by charter schools or any others…..until the powers that be in this district start servicing our students as if they were their own children, we will never get the recognition or support we deserve…..
Comment by rosalyn — May 22, 2009 @ 5:05 p.m.
You obviously are not considering the far superior quality of academics at SLPS schools. Charter schools, as well as opinions about the need to fool parents into believing that programs like KIPP actually work better, will be a thing of the past when outside political forces promoting their existance are forced to yield to the reality that children need to actually learn. Or do any of these fly-by-night educational ‘reform’ proponents ever look at test scores?
Comment by Joseph Gnatek — May 23, 2009 @ 7:59 a.m.
I think that SLPS should do exactly what the KIPP schools do, be very selective and eliminate any student and/or family that refuses to abide by their program rules and format.
I’m sure that the Show-Me Institute, with their vast range of resources, ideas, and suggestions can find a place for those that don’t fit into such a slective program. Rick and his friends including Mayor Slay always have such good solutions for every problem the district faces. Heck, I’ll bet Slay can even find a quality charter school for them to go to. One like the charter school that keeps making the news with all the fights and shooting they have had. I have noticed that they haven’t said much about their test score.
Comment by Busch — May 23, 2009 @ 12:59 p.m.
I can’t believe that the people of St Louis have been fooled into believing that Charter Schools are the panacea for what ails education in St. Louis. As the pundits have decried that SLPS is not serving the city students, then how can a charter school serve any better with less services and/or programs to help with the indigenous population in St Louis. Charter schools are doomed to failure because you have the same educational model as a public school, albeit with less educational services, do something innovative.
Here in St.Louis, I don’t believe you can pull students from the various points in the city with a combined all city student body. North students do not get along with south city students and east students don’t get along with west city students and any of the other combinations. Too much gang activities! Plus, there are not enough students in this area to support all of these various programs, one only has to monitor the test scores and academic achievement of the Charter schools to see how ineffective they are. But parents always think the grass is greener on the other side.
Comment by Levan Orentes — May 26, 2009 @ 4:49 p.m.
Rather than adding a new comment to this section, Sarah Brodsky has responded to many of the criticisms that appear here by writing a new blog entry:
http://www.showmedaily.org/2009/05/answers-to-charter-school-criticism.html
I hope you’ll take the time to read it.
Comment by Eric D. Dixon — May 26, 2009 @ 4:53 p.m.