All in the family: Texas charter schools UPDATE

The Dallas Morning News has been doing a series of articles on charter schools, the last one here. It's a pro/con project. But today's is worth a read — about nepotism in charter schools. It happens in conventional public schools, too. I do think the watchdogging will be harder when the conventional districts are carved up — as charter backers hope — into dozens, if not hundreds, of what are essentially independent school districts. From the most recent Dallas article (it includes links to earlier articles):

Focus Learning Academy, a charter school tucked in a strip mall in Dallas' Red Bird area, takes pride in teaching students with learning disabilities. For founder and Superintendent Leroy McClure, whose brother struggled with a learning disability, it's a personal mission.

McClure earns $146,000 to run the school of about 700 students, about $50,000 more than the typical superintendent of a traditional Texas school district that size.

In addition, McClure's wife, Yvette, receives $100,000 from the school for consulting work and sits on the school board. His brother serves as Focus Academy's facilities manager, and his sister is a teacher there.

The hope is that grass-roots nonprofit groups can create niche public schools that provide new and exciting educational choices for parents and students. And many have.

The fear is that the freedoms granted to charter schools allow hefty salaries, nepotism and potential abuse of the public's money.

UPDATE: Local note. A Conway reader says Leroy McClure is a 1978 graduate of Conway High School and his brother followed him a year later. He made a stab at establishing a school in Conway some years back, reader says.

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Baldwin schools, Coalition set to draft 'Yes We Can' strategic plan

Published: Sunday, December 19, 2010, 6:49 AM

BAY MINETTE, Alabama — Within minutes of the school board vote to approve the "Yes We Can" community agreement on Thursday, Baldwin County Education Coalition members were already buzzing about a January launch date for strategic plan development.

"Now, we start working on the strategic plan," said Terry Burkle, a spokeswoman for the coalition. "This puts us halfway through the initiative’s steps."

And as members have said over and over, "this is where the real work starts," Burkle said.

Board President Angie Swiger said the county is "blessed" because education is at the forefront of community interest. The agreement is a good place to start to establish goals supported by a broad base of stakeholders, she said, and the partnership with the coalition "gives us a basis on which to build."

Thursday’s vote was a starting place, Swiger said, with a great deal of hard work to come.

Coalition members with expertise in various areas will form task forces in each of the five areas set as priorities for reform and improvement in the school system.

The priorities are:

• Funding to meet community expectations and priorities.
• Data-driven accountability.
• Leadership at all levels.
• Every student college or work force ready.
• Communication to inform, engage and connect all citizens as shareholders of the public schools.

With the priorities identified, coalition members and school representatives will draft a plan to accomplish needed changes, Burkle said.

Denise D’Oliveira, another outspoken leader in the coalition, said that teams should be in place by February and will meet one night a week to discuss ideas and outline plans. The idea is to find the best practices in school systems around the country that work and get them in place in Baldwin, she said.

Organizers listed partnerships with the county system and local schools, board members and other elected officials, educators, school staff and parents as key to the initiative’s success. Business community members, faith-based organizations, civic and professional organizations and news outlets were others that have major roles in achieving positive change, according to the plan.

The idea behind the "Yes We Can" model is engaging the public. When systems improve and meet public expectations, schools garner much broader support because people are invested in the results, according to organizers. That includes improving graduation rates, making courses more challenging and relevant and having transparency in decision making among other issues.

"We want our students to be able to compete with the best in the nation, and ultimately with their peers around the world," D’Oliveira said.

In other action at Thursday’s meeting, board members gave letters of commendation to coaches and players on the 6A state champion football team at Daphne High and the 5A state champion team from Spanish Fort High.?

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Winds cause damage at apartment complex and 2 schools

Published: Sunday, December 12, 2010, 8:58 PM ??? Updated: Sunday, December 12, 2010, 9:00 PM

THEODORE, Ala. -- Strong winds late Saturday night caused damage to buildings in Theodore and school buses in Daphne, the National Weather Service said.
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No one was injured.

Damage was reported at the Green Meadow Apartments on Cary Hamilton Road and also at Burroughs Elementary School, the weather service said.

School buses at Daphne Middle School were also damaged by airborne debris a few minutes later, the NWS said. The Theodore damage was reported about 11:30 p.m., and the damage at Daphne occurred about 15 minutes later.

The NWS said a circulating non-tornadic windstorm that originated in the Mobile River Delta caused the Daphne damage, with winds peaking at about 50 mph. The Theodore event was most likely a strong straight-line gust topping out at about 45 mph, the weather service said.
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