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After standing in the lunch line, Rotarians took their seats on the first Friday in August. As school supplies fill the aisles of every retail store, Assistant Principal Pat Hanes filled in for Principal Fliehman who was last seen chasing down Ferris Bueller. PTA President Jenn Dubey gave the invocation, imploring us all to be mindful of opportunities to serve others. Director John Dale Smith led the Choir in a patriotic song. Yearbook Club secretary Chris Swope led the introduction of Guests and prospective new members; head cheerleader Diane Sanborn reported the health of the club is good. AP Hanes gave the IRV cell phone reminder and other news of the day. In breaking news, the Wall Street Journal reports beer is now less than 50% of drinks ordered; millennials are to blame for the decline. Band Director Terry Terry introduced Altin Sencalar on trombone and Kazuki Takemura for special music - they’ll be part of a group taking the stage at Jazz Fest, which is this weekend in Old Town. It’s a free festival; the beer tent is $10 to get in plus cost of what you drink; on the up-side, no millennials will be jostling you for space at the bar. Uber suggested but parking is available. Teacher of the Month Ed Culberson was on a field trip. His Student Teacher Laurie Blumer filled in as Chair of the week/day to introduce the guest lecturer, Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA), an advocate for charter public schools and 21st century education in MI and the Nation. His topic “Charter School Impact Across the Mitten: Parents, Politics and Outcomes” kicked off with data about Michigan being in the bottom third in the country in terms of outcomes for K-12 systems. (Related reading: https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/nations-report-card-michigan-students-remain-back-class) With politics and polarization of education, charter schools, teachers, testing, and funding are all hot topics. Gov Millikan in 1969 spoke to the challenges faced - yet we continue to struggle 50 years later. System tinkering isn’t working. Charter schools are contributing to progress; a different way to look at education. Not the entire solution but definitely part of it. Central Academy in Ann Arbor is a great example of where a vast cross-section of community members and their children are able to be served in better ways than standard public education can manage. In Grand Rapids, a woman from Grand Valley University - which is heavily involved in chartering schools - is a catalyst for getting kids to go to college. She is a charter school graduate who overcame many personal odds to be successful in her life, made connections and established a personal connection to a counselor at Grand Valley who encouraged her to really engage in her education and her own life. She now has a master’s degree, is pursuing her PhD and is working as a counselor at Grand Valley helping other kids work to make it through and overcome obstacles. A dynamic charter school made the difference for her. In Sault Ste. Marie a young man wanted to become a pediatric surgeon; he was able to go to a charter school sponsored by the tribe in Sault Ste. Marie, connected with Northern Michigan University, where they work harder to meet the needs of native Americans. He was 6th highest in his class, started at NMU, will graduate as one of 12 students admitted to MSU Rural community health program. His unique experiences in charter school met his unique needs.  Charters are outperforming public schools in Detroit, “but doing markedly better than a low-performing traditional school district is not enough, and we realize as a Detroit charter community we need to prepare our students better in the years immediately ahead to provide our students full equal opportunity.” (source: Charter Performance in Detroit: A Big Leg up...And A Ways to Go). Support for MI Charter Schools remains strong, with 62% in favor, 25.2% opposed, and 12.5% neutral. 300 Charter schools in Michigan exist because parents have pushed for more for their children. As tax payers, they want to fund things that work, not things that don’t. Solutions aren’t about districts, or politics. We need to empower teachers to teach, allow parents to choose the best place for their child to learn, and do what is best for the kids. Literacy is fundamental. In today’s world we can absolutely embrace multiple modes of delivery; there is no one single solution. We still have lots to work out - regulation, funding, accountability, and more are all buzz words in this dialogue. But you have to filter through to get to the real facts and figures to overcome the disappointment we all feel around this issue. A robust Q&A ensued. The role of parents and communities in supporting children cannot be ignored. The opportunity for higher education to become even more involved is also exciting. A Rotary coin with the 4-way test was presented to our speaker; it’s even better than a #2 pencil. In lieu of a shiny red apple, we will donate money to our Bio sand Filter water project to provide pure water to developing countries in the Dominican Republic. Next week's guest speaker at the Lansing Center will be Joshua Cowen, Associate Professor of Education Policy at MSU on "What Works in Education?" With the ring of the bell, class dismissed. Prinicipal Fliehman returns next week. Maybe. Queue permanent sub listing on Handshake. |
Joshua Cowen is an Associate Professor of Education Policy and Co-Director of the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) at Michigan State University. A new research lab dedicated to providing research with consequence to inform education policy in Michigan and beyond. His current research focuses on teacher quality, student and teacher mobility, program evaluation and education policy. His work has been published in multiple scholarly journals and funded by a diverse array of philanthropies. He is currently co-editor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis and a member of the Editorial Board at Education Finance and Policy..jpg)