Chesapeake Charter School

[jlabsher]

Well I saw an article in the Emptyprize about the formation of a charter school in SOMD. Went to the meeting Saturday morning at the library. The website is here: http://www.chesapeakecharterschool.org/ccs/index.cfm

I was not impressed. They will stress "holistic learning" and won't have grades will give status reports throughout the year. Will "empower" the children, sounded like a Montessori deal. I was struck by the crazy liberals in the audience who asked about the teaching of morals, how they would ensure minorities were admitted. One guy even got up and said "There's nobody here but middle class white folks, how do we get the poor minorities involved?" I came back with the fact that the article was in the paper and anybody was welcome to come, but chose not to.

They will have an environmental slant (organic gardening, touchy-feely stuff). I got up and asked if they would be teaching readin', writin', and 'rithmetic? They said that the AM would be core courses with PM given to the rest. I asked how kids would adapt to a traditional school with tests, grades and such, they said that if the kid "feels good about learning and themselves" it would be easy to adapt. I knew I was beaten then. My kids already feel good about themselves, I want them to learn. Make 'em memorize the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, prepare them for the real world.

As much as I hate the public schools in St. Mary's my kids won't be going to this one. Some of you may be interested though.

 

[vraiblonde]

Where diversity is not merely accommodated, but celebrated.

Where learning is challenging, meaningful, and joyful.

Where children learn the value of teamwork.

Where education is a partnership of parents, teachers, students, and community.

Where integrated curriculum units feature study of the Chesapeake Bay and World Cultures.

Where the hearts, minds, and hands of the students work together.

Just what we need - frickin' lib school. But hey - God Bless America! If parents want to send their kid to tard school so they can learn to be tree huggers, more power to 'em.

 

[Sharon]

Originally posted by vraiblonde
tard school

 

[vraiblonde]

Day to Day Structure

AM block of concentrated learning time
Mid-day fitness and nutrition
PM block of learning experiences and choices
- World languages
- Art
- Music
- Organic gardening
- Technology
- Tutoring/Enrichment

 

[Tonio]

I want to find out more about this school, too.

The public elementary school in my area doesn't have a good reputation for a number of reasons. One, it's fairly remote and the teachers seem resentful for being assigned there. Two, many families in the area don't seem to care about their children's education. We took our kids to a public Halloween gathering, and two-thirds of the parents just turned their kids loose, so they could sit around chatting and drinking and sucking on cancer sticks.

We also have a Catholic school in the area. I understand that the curriculum in Southern Maryland's Catholic elementary schools has become less religious, so that's encouraging. I like the fact that the teachers and parents in these schools are very committed.

There's a Montessori school nearby, and I don't know enough about this type of school.

I've already crossed the nearby Baptist school off my list. I don't have anything against Baptists, but that denomination scares me. Plus, I've seen kids come out of schools like this completely unprepared to deal with kids from other schools, because they're taught that the world is evil and will perish in Armageddon in a few years.

 

[jlabsher]

Man, I felt the same way. If I wouldn't have been in the front row I would have walked out after the organic gardening came up. They even said that older kids would act as tutors for the younger ones. I almost said it sounded like peer pressure, but caught myself.

I suppose it is better than teaching fire and brimstone, but not much.

If they had more emphasis on real world learning such as technology, math, science and a higher academic bent (rather than a feel-good environmental bent) I may consider it.

It is almost like Montessori, but is free, won't set you back the $3-4K tha Montessori would, or the $2K that the Catholic school would.

 

[Tonio]

Originally posted by *archimedes*
You sure this wasn't the last forum gathering you attended?

I have about three years before my oldest is ready for kindergarten, so I'm watching to see if anyone else is going to start a charter school.

 

[SuperGrover]

A friend of mine works for a Charter School in Florida. The problem is that they are a business and profits talk. Additionally, there's alot of nepotism going on there due to the fact that they ARE a BUSINESS.

We should first fix our "free" education system with people who can see the big picture, instead of furthering their own agenda or piecemealing bits and pieces of different programs and not looking at the big picture...

Schools are there to educate children, they are not there for social programs (ie: babysit, provide a home, etc.) Need to separate the social program aspect from the educational aspect.

 

[Tonio]

Originally posted by SuperGrover
Schools are there to educate children, they are not there for social programs (ie: babysit, provide a home, etc.) Need to separate the social program aspect from the educational aspect.

That's a good point. I see the big problem is that school systems are self-serving bureaucracies. If I were on the school board, I would thin the central office staff drastically, and send most of the degreed educators there back to the classrooms.

 

[Christy]

Originally posted by Tonio
in these schools are very committed.

There's a Montessori school nearby, and I don't know enough about this type of school.

My kids got to Starmaker, which is a Montessori type school. We really like it.

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by Christy
My kids got to Starmaker, which is a Montessori type school. We really like it.

How's their organic gardening coming along?

 

[Christy]

Originally posted by vraiblonde
How's their organic gardening coming along?

The only thing that gets planted there is the teacher's foot up my kids behind.

Actually, I do believe the kindergardners do a flower garden every spring, but once you go into lower elementary they start cracking the whip.

 

[Elle]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10985-2004Feb3.html