jbm32206
12-27-2007, 05:51 AM
I agree with Burney and Hazouri, in that any money spent by the school system, should benefit all students. Otherwise, it should be a private school, with no financial assistance from the DCSB.
By Mary Kelli Palka, The Times-Union
Peyton likes concept, but local support wavers for Knowledge is Power entry. Jacksonville won't be home to a Knowledge is Power Program charter school next year, as some Duval County school officials had originally hoped. But Mayor John Peyton, along with some school and community leaders, are setting their sights on 2010 to open the first local KIPP school, with up to four more opening in later years.
The nationally recognized schools, located throughout the country, are geared toward helping mostly lower-income students improve their academics and get a head start on college. Those students spend longer hours and weeks in the classroom (including some Saturdays), while teachers are paid more and work longer hours than their counterparts in traditional public schools.
The schools are run by a local board, using a mix of private and public dollars. But details vary by city. Students are selected by lottery and attend free. In order for KIPP officials to locate in Jacksonville, they'll have to be convinced that the community is behind the concept.
Though Peyton and many community leaders have thrown their support behind it, the Duval County School Board hasn't taken a public position yet. School Board Chairwoman Betty Burney said she doesn't know if she'll support local KIPP schools. But she is a fan of the concept. She's studied the charter school system and plans to visit one in a few weeks. But she said she also knows that the school district can offer similar opportunities in traditional public schools, because she said that was her experience when she attended Raines High School in the 1970s.
Burney and board member Tommy Hazouri said the district's resources should benefit every student. If KIPP comes to Jacksonville, the School Board would likely have to contribute money or resources, including a school building and transportation for students. Also, the School Board is challenging the state's decision to take away local control of charter schools and vest that authority in a state commission. The state has supported the school district's efforts to get a KIPP school.
Peyton visited a KIPP school in Atlanta a few weeks ago and sees it as one example of how the community can lower dropout rates and keep students off the streets. He's asked a group of community leaders who are participating in his new anti-crime initiative to work with the school district to bring a KIPP school here.
Peyton said he wants to find ways to use the best aspects of the KIPP schools to help the rest of the county's students. "It's a pocket of success and good starting point, but how do you scale it," Peyton said. What impressed Peyton most on his visit to the Atlanta school was the dedication of the staff, including the principal. Peyton said the principal was on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. "It's almost like mission work," he said.
KIPP will put out requests for proposals in the spring for cities interested in opening a local branch, said Steve Mancini, KIPP's public affairs director. He said a location could be selected late in 2008. From there, it takes more than a year to get a new school off the ground, including one year of training for the principal, Mancini said.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/122707/met_229314780.shtml
By Mary Kelli Palka, The Times-Union
Peyton likes concept, but local support wavers for Knowledge is Power entry. Jacksonville won't be home to a Knowledge is Power Program charter school next year, as some Duval County school officials had originally hoped. But Mayor John Peyton, along with some school and community leaders, are setting their sights on 2010 to open the first local KIPP school, with up to four more opening in later years.
The nationally recognized schools, located throughout the country, are geared toward helping mostly lower-income students improve their academics and get a head start on college. Those students spend longer hours and weeks in the classroom (including some Saturdays), while teachers are paid more and work longer hours than their counterparts in traditional public schools.
The schools are run by a local board, using a mix of private and public dollars. But details vary by city. Students are selected by lottery and attend free. In order for KIPP officials to locate in Jacksonville, they'll have to be convinced that the community is behind the concept.
Though Peyton and many community leaders have thrown their support behind it, the Duval County School Board hasn't taken a public position yet. School Board Chairwoman Betty Burney said she doesn't know if she'll support local KIPP schools. But she is a fan of the concept. She's studied the charter school system and plans to visit one in a few weeks. But she said she also knows that the school district can offer similar opportunities in traditional public schools, because she said that was her experience when she attended Raines High School in the 1970s.
Burney and board member Tommy Hazouri said the district's resources should benefit every student. If KIPP comes to Jacksonville, the School Board would likely have to contribute money or resources, including a school building and transportation for students. Also, the School Board is challenging the state's decision to take away local control of charter schools and vest that authority in a state commission. The state has supported the school district's efforts to get a KIPP school.
Peyton visited a KIPP school in Atlanta a few weeks ago and sees it as one example of how the community can lower dropout rates and keep students off the streets. He's asked a group of community leaders who are participating in his new anti-crime initiative to work with the school district to bring a KIPP school here.
Peyton said he wants to find ways to use the best aspects of the KIPP schools to help the rest of the county's students. "It's a pocket of success and good starting point, but how do you scale it," Peyton said. What impressed Peyton most on his visit to the Atlanta school was the dedication of the staff, including the principal. Peyton said the principal was on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. "It's almost like mission work," he said.
KIPP will put out requests for proposals in the spring for cities interested in opening a local branch, said Steve Mancini, KIPP's public affairs director. He said a location could be selected late in 2008. From there, it takes more than a year to get a new school off the ground, including one year of training for the principal, Mancini said.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/122707/met_229314780.shtml