USD 501 gets chance to build dream school for the dreamless

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Aug 13, 2000 by Capital-Journal

Alot of folks may not know what a charter school is or what it does. But Dr. Betty Horton, a University of Kansas researcher and former Topeka Public Schools magnet schools director, puts into simple words what a group of more than a dozen parents and educators in Topeka are after in asking the Topeka public school district for permission to start a charter school for underachieving students here.

"We're building a dream school for those who have no dream," she said.

With the experience, knowledge, passion and innovation this group is bringing to the proposal, the Topeka Unified School District 501 Board of Education would be crazy not to do its best to make that dream come true.

Superintendent Dr. Robert McFrazier wants more details --- and that may come when the group, Concerned Citizens for the Topeka Charter Schools, addresses the school board on Thursday. But he has been meeting with the group for months and says its proposal is a serious one.

"They're quite passionate about this," McFrazier said. "It's very important for this school district to take this seriously. And we will."

Here's the proposal, boiled down: Under authority of state law, the district would designate an elementary school, such as Quinton Heights, as a charter elementary, and another building, such as Eisenhower, as a charter junior high and high school. They would be public schools, still under the auspices of USD 501 --- but their curricula, policies and procedures, and staff makeup would be governed at the school level. Example: Building on the 501 pay base, the charter schools could add in merit pay for teachers.

That's not all. They want the school to be specifically for USD 501's low achievers. And they want to bring those achievement levels up.

Sandy Lassiter, principal at Quinton Heights, is among the group, and she says they would in effect ask other 501 schools to send their low achievers to the charter school --- which Lassiter says the other schools should be thrilled to do, since it would improve their schoolwide test scores.

At the charter school, students would be treated to programs that are known to work, both academically and socially. Horton says she and her colleagues have programs, for instance, that can send reading scores skyrocketing. And Larry Mack, of Rites of Passage, says his proven program of mentoring at-risk African-American youths would have a presence at the school.

The group makes no bones about the fact they're targeting African- American students, since USD 501 has an achievement gap between minorities and whites. Will that run afoul of the Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education desegregation case? The Brown case is closed, says plaintiffs attorney Rich Jones --- and besides, he says, if race is incidental to the mission, "it wouldn't raise as much of an eyebrow."

School choice isn't just coming --- it's already here. People with money already have it. Now, this group wants to bring it to poor, minority students in Topeka.

This is an incredible opportunity that is dropping in the laps of the USD 501 Board of Education: A group of experienced, passionate patrons and school officials is offering the district help with its low-achieving students. And the risk would rest with the people starting and running the school.

Besides impressive credentials, this group already has a unique ally: Dr. Doug Iliff, who helped found the academically formidable private Cair Paravel-Latin School. He is offering his own experience and ideas --- including such things as a mind-expanding "Great Ideas" course he began and taught at Cair Paravel.

A charter school has the best of both worlds: the funding and oversight of a public school district with much of the flexibility of a private school.

Iliff points out one advantage of a small school with local control, versus large schools within a large bureaucracy: Mistakes can often be detected earlier and can be corrected more easily.

The best reason for trying a charter school, though, may come from Principal Lassiter: "As a 30-year veteran, I've watched low- achieving children who I know can do better," she said.

What the group is asking for is a chance to try.

"These are our children. We're asking for our school. And these are our tax dollars," Lassiter said.

School choice is here. And a group of dedicated educators and parents is offering to help USD 501 provide it --- to kids who might never get it otherwise.

Michael Ryan can be reached at

(785) 295-1199 or mryan@cjonline.com.

MICHAEL RYAN

Editorial page editor