Mississippi-Louisiana charter schools

Government school officials really hate the idea of charter schools, because they’re a threat to the status quo of administrator and teacher security. But for parents and communities looking for a change for the better, charter schools can offer a positive alternative. Mississippi and Louisiana have always been backwaters for education reform, fighting compulsory education, kindergartens, equality in education, etc. The time is coming when charters will come to our states, too.

Charter schools receive public money but are freed from many of the rules and regulations other public schools face. In return, the charter schools face more stringent accountability standards. Part of the public education system, charter schools charge no tuition. Admission is frequently over-subscribed, and in a 2008 survey, 59% of charters in the U.S. reported they had a waiting list. Some schools use a lottery for admission purposes. Others use a variety of educational admission standards.

The phenomenon of charters is not a flash in the pan. Not only are they becoming increasingly popular in the U.S., countries like Canada, England, Wales and New Zealand are adopting this relatively new form of school organization. As a symptom of its threat to the educational establishment, a host of professional and scientific research has been commissioned and published to show charter schools don’t work. Much of this research is biased or outright phony. The positives of charters generally outweigh the harsh negatives of traditional public schools.

The key benefit for students and parents seems to lie in performance and accessibility. Charters are generally recognized as having higher academic standards, few discipline problems and more successful outcomes for students. However, these positive results are not a given. Some charter schools in big cities have failed miserably, like their traditional public predecessors. And the accounting practices of some charters have left much to be desired. The cost to attend a charter school is free. Parents tired of the failure of a traditional public school opt for charter for their kids because of the promise of a better education. For middle and low income families, it can be the best option since private school tuition is so expensive.

We may be a decade or more from real charter school reform in Mississippi and Louisiana. But I can’t help but think parents will eventually tire of schools that fail and a real revolution in education could be closer than we think. Charters may not be the answer. But what we’re doing now in our local public schools is a tragedy.

The performance of Natchez-Adams, Ferriday, Jefferson County and Wilkinson County schools has already been well documented. Eventually, Vidalia schools will suffer the similar contagion, as slippage is already noted. Fortunately, Catahoula Parish and Franklin County seem to have good public school organizations, as their state report cards show.

If we’re going to spend $8,000-$10,000 per child per year in the public schools, we’ve got to do a much better job. Not succeeding in public education means a community moves more and more to a “new plantation mentality.” More students become low-performing adults who live off the government or jump from menial job to menial job instead of becoming successful, capable and hard-working citizens with real careers. Mississippi, Louisiana and the U.S. as a whole face a diminished future unless public education really works that way it should.

 

The low-down

While many of our readers take a look at The Natchez Sun and its companion website, natchezsun.com, we also publish Miss-Lou Magazine and its website, missloumagazine.com. Every month on the first, we post a new edition on both websites. The news, commentary and feature articles on missloumagazine.com are completely different than the ones in print. I try to write an interesting editorial under the catch-all of the “Low-down on the higher ups.” Here is a recent commentary:

 

Vidalia vs. Natchez

               Here’s how things work in Vidalia as compared to Natchez. Three Vidalia residents get together; notice that a vacant lot is overgrown, derelict and full of trash. One of the three says, “I’ll get my trimmer, rakes and trash bags. And we’ll haul the junk away in my pick-up.” They all pitch in, remove the debris and tidy up by just after sundown.

    Three residents of Natchez get together, notice the same problem on a lot in their town. One of the three says, “Let’s form a committee to discuss this.” Another says, “What I want to know is whether it will be a city committee or a county committee?”  The third resident says, “What are the legalities of cleaning it up? Let’s get a grant and do a study.” A year later, the lot is still trashy, even messier.

 

The next mayor of Natchez

Our phone is already ringing with Natchez voters asking who will run for mayor next time. Part of the conversation is the simple political gossiping that goes around town. Part is a sincere dissatisfaction with the management style of Jake Middleton

            Middleton has won few friends because of his inability to take charge. He founders in controversy because he has trouble making decisions. He wanders away from problems because he just can’t handle the stress. That’s too bad, because Mayor Jake does have ability. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it as far as he has politically. Unfortunately, he’s playing catch up with the voters. The Rickey and Joyce Show has damaged Jake’s reputation. But all those white folks who say they won’t vote for Jake again will rally to his cause if Phillip West is his opponent again in the next mayoral contest. Race is always the bottom line in Natchez.

 

Enforcement encouraged

            Ferriday’s speed traps were the stuff of legend.  Now with Mayor Glen in charge, the police have taken a more normal approach to enforcement, giving warnings as well as tickets. One highway that needs additional monitoring is the Ferriday-Vidalia Highway. The limit is 55 mph, but many drivers go as fast as 70-80 mph.

             We’d like to see the Concordia Sheriff’s Department issue some warnings and tickets to offenders. The area near Ridgecrest is especially dangerous. Sheriff Maxwell runs a good department. Our hope is that he will assign more officer time to patrols on Hwy. 84.

            The turn lanes are only marginally safe. Many pedestrians cross the roadway day and night. Better enforcement is needed to slow motorists down and help prevent accident and injury.

 

The EDA reincarnated

              It looks like the economic development authority might struggle through a few more years of financing from local governments. Despite a miserable track record, the agency, under a new name (Natchez Now/Inc.) is sure to get funding from supervisors, the city and the private sector.

            As a matter of fact, the agency will have even more money to waste. Too bad the local politicians hired some consultants to give them advice. The advice came: spend more money! The essential problem with the agency is the same. It’s a government entity, not a private sector business. The people hired to work there are sitters not doers.

            Everyone has great hopes for the reincarnation. But asking a government agency to perform efficiently is too much to expect. It just won’t happen. And Natchez Now/Inc. will be like its predecessor, championing a bunch of scams for the city and county to support with your tax dollars. The agency should be in the private sector entirely, like the Chamber of Commerce. As a matter of fact, it makes much more sense to have the business development and recruiting done by the Chamber rather than government.