Schools And Education

Charter schools: It’s tough for some parents to decide whether to send their children to public schools or private schools. Adding a third choice, a charter school, may be a good option for some. The Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy, a rigorous college preparatory public school, is scheduled to open in the fall of 1999 to 200 seventh- through 12th-graders. We asked two parents of high school-aged students in Coeur d’Alene to write short essays about the decisions they face in choosing where to send their children. We also asked the principal of a new charter school in Moscow to write about the struggles facing that school, which opened this fall, and what advice she would give to organizers of the Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy.

Catholic school model of what’s best By Barb McFarland Coeur d’Alene

It was an agonizing decision to send our son, along with nearly 100 other Idaho students, to study in another community separated from where he has lived his life and started his education.

While our son’s experience in the public schools ranged over a broad spectrum including some exceptional teachers, we were seeking a higher saturation of challenging and stimulating courses. What tipped the scale was the demonstration from Gonzaga Prep faculty and administration that our son’s unique strengths and needs would be addressed.

The counselors took the necessary time to know him personally. The classroom teachers have followed suit with their commitment to educate every student to his or her full capacity and to take on their education as a personal quest. Those simple features are what compel many, at a great sacrifice of expense, time and disruption in their family, to travel to Spokane.

With so many various and serious needs to be addressed in the local high schools, the subset of college-bound students requiring preparation for the next step in their education is difficult to serve optimally. Gonzaga Prep is succeeding in its stated goal of preparing students for the rigors and demands of a university course because that is its primary objective.

The qualifications of the faculty reflect that concentration of purpose, since most have advanced degrees in the specific academic subjects they teach. That focus, combined with serious students, has made the financial and other costs worth the exchange.

Gonzaga Prep is, as its staff is quick to point out, not a gamble. We were attracted, after all the educational experimentation of our public school experience, to a proven, traditional approach which the school has seen no reason to change substantially in 112 years.

We know the volume of sheer work required in any good college curriculum and in any serious profession, and Prep recognizes this, too, adhering to the time-honored standard of requiring students to hone skills at study and reasoning by hours of rigorous work. Easy grades and lightweight courses are great for short-term self-esteem but that confidence doesn’t last long in the forums where we hope our children are heading.

A public charter school addressing the academic needs of college-bound students will no doubt attract parents currently sending their children to St. George’s and Gonzaga Prep. Providing uniform rigor, no-nonsense academics and a top-notch staff would offer an opportunity for local students which is currently perceived by many as available only in another community.

New school offers welcome alternative By Robin Chisholm Coeur d’Alene

As a parent, I welcome additional choices for the stressful yet important years of high school for students. One cannot fault parents and teachers who have the industriousness to challenge the status quo by helping particular kids focus on a clear pathway to a rigorous academic education, even if that choice restricts the total social and activity perspective accepted as the traditional high school experience.

Making the charter choice for my child may sacrifice some of the aspects that serve to keep some kids on positive course, but may leave others idling at intersections indefinitely.

Steering a course through the maze of options, opportunities and detours that make up the traditional high school experience can be an exciting, positive, character-building, strengthening adventure for some, and an intimidating, confusing ride on mass transit for others.

Solid ambitions can easily fall prey to other agendas when bombarded with peer, covert and overt pressure to be and achieve in arenas other than academic. While this is one of the strengths of our current high school systems, for some kids it only serves to throw up roadblocks to their singularity of purpose. Many bright kids drop out, physically or mentally, concluding that the large, busy atmosphere is distracting, overwhelming or dehumanizing.

Options like smaller classes, well-defined agendas and fewer activities may contribute to success and self-fulfillment for these students during these four powerful, important years of development.

The proposed charter school for the Coeur d’Alene School District should be considered a positive step toward meeting educational needs for individual students and families. The charter board and school district board should be commended for putting students’ needs first in this difficult decision.

Put charter school on business footing By Mary Lang Moscow

The following guidelines have worked to make the Moscow Charter School a successful endeavor and may be helpful to other groups that will be starting a charter school.

View the school as a start-up business. It takes a good five years to establish a new business and there are a number of problems that are inherent in a start-up business. Having prior knowledge of these obstacles will help you get past them easily.

Have a clear vision of the overall organization and detailed structure of the school. Use your passion and vision to communicate these to others and to get you through the difficulties of the start-up. Realize that clarity of vision allows for things to happen spontaneously and effortlessly, even at times when they seem impossible.

In the beginning stages, work with a dedicated group of team players only. People who do not fully grasp the vision may hinder the difficult start-up process.

Enlist professionals who can contribute toward a successful business, especially in the case of funding. This includes a professional grant writer and fund-raiser.

Enlist professionals from the district who have knowledge of policies of the local district, as well as of the state, to serve on your board.

Start with a manageable student population and build as the need dictates.

Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks when it supports your vision, even though the current situation may not appear to support it.

Allow yourself to make mistakes. Strive for a smooth transition in correcting them.

Have a backup option for failed plans, to prevent excessive worrying.

Remember, of all the variables that contribute to educational success, small ratios are the most important. A small students-to-teacher ratio creates a strong sense of community among teachers, students and parents, and a safe, secure environment for learning.

Mary Lang is president and chairman of the board for Moscow Charter School.