New charter school is good for Lowell
01/11/2012
On Thursday, representatives from the Collegiate Charter
School of Lowell (CCSL) will go before the state Board of Education in Malden
to answer questions about its proposal for a new school.
The school's Founding Committee, comprising area business
and educational executives, will be joined by directors from SABIS
international, the learning group that will operate the K-5 charter.
The Department of Education must approve the CCSL's
proposal, and will be scrutinizing every detail of its proposed organizational
structure, mission, academic offerings, recruitment of teaching staff and
financial resources. A final decision is expected in February. If all goes
well, the CCSL will be eligible to open in September 2013 with 540 students.
The Sun believes the city of Lowell, home to 106,000
residents, needs more public-school choices for parents and their children. In
affluent communities, the range of school choices -- both public and private --
is broad, giving families opportunities to decide what is best for their
children. Shouldn't Lowell parents have a similar chance to decide what is best
for their kids? Damn right they should.
The CCSL, coupled with the existing Lowell Community
Charter Public School (K-6), would greatly expand the menu of untapped options.
According to DOE guidelines, the city has the capacity to offer 2,500 seats
annually to charter-school students, yet is under-served by 72 percent.
The CCSL proposal presents a significant opportunity for
Lowell to improve the quality of education throughout the city's public school
system. Its mission isn't to "steal" students from Lowell Public
Schools as critics contend, but to enhance the academic development of students
who desire a different learning environment.
SABIS International has a splendid track record of
operating charters in other urban centers. Its goal is to see that every
student attending its schools goes on to attend college. It has been highly
successful in achieving those lofty marks in both Holyoke and Springfield,
where the traditional public schools have struggled mightily. We like the
attitude of excellence that SABIS sets; it's a great model for serious learning.
The state's charter-approval process, however, can be
somewhat political -- even though politics, by law, has nothing to do with
DOE's final decision. We've detected a state education bias against SABIS
simply because it is a for-profit business organization. You would think a
well-run, efficient outfit would be welcome, but DOE officials hate to give up
control to any outside experts other than themselves. They should be more
concerned with the results of students.
We hope this mindset changes for the sake of our
children. The Community Charter School of Lowell deserves a chance to open its
doors and breathe fresh life and vitality into the city's educational
landscape.
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