Update DOE Charter School Accountability Committee Member is Not a New Member She has been Serving on this Committee for Years

I have to dig and dig in order to stay on top of things in Dover. This is one of the reasons why I started this blog, to inform community members but for community members to inform me as well; education is a third of Delaware’s budget.

I thought Kendall Massett was replacing Chuck Taylor but she had been a member all along. I had requested from the Department of Education to name Chuck Taylor’s replacement after writing to them back in July. I had read on a blog that Chuck Taylor was named Head of School for Providence Creek Academy and I thought it was a conflict of interest. Mr. Taylor serving as a member of the Charter School Accountability Committee would be a conflict especially when Providence Creek would come before the Charter School Accountability Committee. Mr. Taylor apparently stepped down but I never received a response from DOE on his replacement. I saw the updated committee 2015-2016 roster and Chuck Taylor’s name had been removed, I just assumed Ms. Massett was his replacement, DOE’s roster does not list how long a member has served on the committee. 8 members of the Charter School Accountability Committee 2 members are charter school representatives.

Deborah Wilson, President and CEO, Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League is a new committee member, according to the News Journal article she is no longer serving as president on the Urban League.  I wonder if she will still be serving?

• The Charter School Accountability Committee (“CSAC”) is a public committee convened by the Department of Education to review information and issue recommendations for all major accountability processes for the charters for which it is the approving authority. These processes include, but are not limited to, applications for new charter schools, major modifications, renewals, and formal review.

The News Journal posted an article titled: Special interests: Who lobbies most in Dover? The Delaware Charter School Network was named #5 in who lobbies the most in Dover. The primary group advocates on behalf of Delaware’s charter schools in Legislative Hall.

How can we have the Executive Director of Delaware Charter School Network sitting on a committee who views applications for new charter schools and charter schools major modifications, renewals, and formal review? Folks will say that she is not a voting member, I would say she has the power to influence and it is a conflict; her job is dependent on charter schools increasing and staying open. I would say that they probably even helped write the applications.

Delaware Charter School Network is a non-profit organization created in 2001 to support the charter school movement and charter schools in Delaware and they have a seat at the Charter School Accountability Committee.

I thought it was interesting that the Department of Education website has a link to Delaware Charter School Network.

Since 2013, we have had three charter schools close and DMA, Academy of Dover, and Family Foundations were/are investigated by the Auditor’s Office.

A total of 34 charters have opened, 7 have closed and 3 audit investigations have been reported/initiated showing the tax payers money being misused. 29.4% of Delaware charter schools have either closed or been under investigation. We cannot continue to use our children as experiments, they are the ones who suffer the most.

I will say that there are some good charter schools as well but some of those charter schools also have selective admissions process.

Veterans Transportation Forum

The Delaware Transit Corporation and Delaware Commission for Veteran Affairs Co-Sponsor Veterans Transportation Forum

The Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) and Delaware Commission for Veteran Affairs (DCVA) are co-sponsoring a Veterans Transportation Forum on September 30 from 10 AM to 2 PM at the American Legion Post #28 in Millsboro, Delaware.  The goal of the forum is to review existing transportation services and discuss ideas for possible enhancements or supplements to existing services that may serve the needs of veterans.

Gary “Mo” Morris, a 24-year employee of DTC and 27-year veteran of the Air Force will emcee MC the event, and says that many veterans in Delaware express a need for access to transportation related to the care of military-related medical issues.

DTC Chief Executive Officer, John Sisson wants to see what possibilities are available for veterans, particularly in rural Delaware.  One of the transportation issues facing veterans is a need to get from the rural parts of Delaware to the VA Medical Center in Wilmington, and two Community-Based Outpatient Clinics known as CBOCs in Kent and Sussex Counties.

According to Mr. Morris, the Disabled American Veterans organization has been very aware of this problem. Through a partnership with the Ford Motor Co., they were able to provide hundreds of thousands of trips across the nation to VA facilities, for no charge.  Numerous volunteer organizations such as the American Legion and VFW have also picked up this task; however, as members grow older, fewer volunteers are available to make these trips.

For more information about the upcoming forum, please contact Gary Morris at (302) 760-2801.

Update Department of Education Charter School Accountability Committee has a New Member Who Works for the DE Charter Schools Network, Actually the Member is Not New She has been Serving on This Committee for a While Now

I thought Kendall Massett was replacing Chuck Taylor but she had been a member all along. I had requested from the Department of Education who would be replacing Chuck Taylor, I never received a response. I saw the updated committee 2015-2016 roster and Chuck Taylor’s name has been removed. The Charter School Accountability Committee has a new member, Kendall Massett, the Executive Director of the Delaware Charter Schools Network, she replaces Chuck Taylor. I wrote to the Department of Education back in July 2015 about Chuck Taylor being a member of the Accountability Committee and being Head of School for Providence Creek Academy, I thought it was a conflict of interest.

• The Charter School Accountability Committee (“CSAC”) is a public committee convened by the Department of Education to review information and issue recommendations for all major accountability processes for the charters for which it is the approving authority. These processes include, but are not limited to, applications for new charter schools, major modifications, renewals, and formal review.

The News Journal posted an article titled: Special interests: Who lobbies most in Dover? The Delaware Charter School Network was named #5 in who lobbies the most in Dover. The primary group advocates on behalf of Delaware’s charter schools in Legislative Hall.

How can we have the Executive Director of Delaware Charter School Network sitting on a committee who views applications for new charter schools and charter schools major modifications, renewals, and formal review?

Delaware Charter School Network is a non-profit organization created in 2001 to support the charter school movement and charter schools in Delaware and now they have a seat at the Charter School Accountability Committee.

Accountability Framework Working Group Update

I attended the Accountability Framework Working Group (AFWG) meeting on September 23rd from 1:30 to 4:45. I was the only member of the public present. The working group is made up of school/district members, a DSEA member, a parent member and a State Board member. The group is responsible for developing and recommending a new, multiple measure accountability system called Delaware School Success Framework. It does concern me that the State Board has a seat on this group and my reason for my concern is the State Board ultimately will approve these recommendations.

The AFWG was to finalize their recommendations at this last meeting, they could not come to an agreement on a rating system, so another meeting is scheduled. Most members do not support the use of ANY rating system other than what is federally required and most members do not agree with the federal mandates either. Most members of this group are outraged that we continue to label our schools causing damage that takes years to undo and the lack of support they receive after being branded as failures.

The AFWG recommendations must be completed before October 6th Delaware Education Support System (DESS) Advisory Council meeting. DESS is the stakeholder group which is to provide guidance on the overall Delaware Education Support System, guidance on enhancements to the Education Success Planning and Evaluation System, guidance on Title 1 Implementation and recommend changes to the Accountability Workbook and focus on Professional Development. You will see the DESS Advisory Council mentioned throughout Delaware’s ESEA Flex Waiver.

DESS Advisory and NCLB Stakeholders merged back in May of 2010. Our new Secretary of Education, Steve Godowsky, was a member of this group (New Castle County Votech) and was chair of the council in July of 2010.

The recommendations from AFWG must be to the State Board by October 15th. The State Board of Education will vote on the recommendations and then the recommendations must be presented to US DOE by the end of October.

• AFWG members want to know what supports will be in place before recommending ratings.
• They want a rating system in place that is least damaging to schools.
• Members are against 1 to 100 scale.
• One member stated that the A through F ratings system is like a restaurant rating system.
• Members commented on how they could send final recommendations to the State Board and how the State Board/Secretary could overturn their recommendations.
  • Members commented that Secretary Murphy did exactly that. The lowest performing schools were to be selected as priority schools. Secretary Murphy did not select the lowest performing schools, he selected the schools he wanted as priority schools.
• Members commented that the US DOE Accountability System is just a NAME and BLAME game.

Items that have been agreed to:

• Proposed 5/6 Year Graduation Calculation
• Accounting for Significant Gaps
  • Option 2 – gap between student gap group and non student gap group performance is greater than the state average gap.
• Participation Rate must be included in the accountability system, this is a federal requirement.
  • No school under 95% participation may receive a highest performance rating. The group selected this one, they selected the one that is least destructive.