This article raises a serious point that comes up often in the charter schools vs. public schools debate. How do charter schools service special needs students and English language learners? This article is a personal account of a mother of a special needs student.
Matthew was accepted to Harlem Success Academy #4, and at first, parents saw that the school seemed to be disciplined, well-stocked with supplies, and clean. However, there was no PTA so parental involvement and input was not encouraged by the school. Matthew struggled at the school and was separated from the rest of the class.
HAS wanted Matthew removed from the school, and little did they know, the school was doing him a favor more than he was doing them a favor. The charter schools were not equipped to handle Matthew’s needs because they were more concerned with performing at certain levels. The public school system made a difference, because they were able to bring back Matthew’s sense of self and desire to learn through the proper resources and help available to him.
As the debate continues, we will keep an eye on special education to see how it evolves and if charter schools will accommodate the needs of those learners.
This article is very interesting for a number of reasons. First Katherine Sprowal's story of her and her son's challenges with the Harlem Success Academy is evidence that not all charter schools are painted in gold the way many mediums portray them to be. It was refreshing to see another perspective on charter schools; an insider's view.
Secondly, charter schools constantly promote that they will work to do whatever it takes to ensure that every child succeeds and receives an effective education. They stress that all children deserve this and it is parents rights to choose whether their child will receive a quality education. Yet, here is a family that got through the lottery and made it into the school that Ms. Sprowal longed for her son, Matthew, to be a part of because of the lack of other options. Against the odds they got in but that did not stop HSA from deciding in three short weeks that Matthew, and a number of other students, were "uneducable" by HSA standards. Not only does this contradict every charter school mission statement I have ever heard but it makes me wonder if this is how officials like Eva Moscowitz are able to say that 100% of all their students ace the state examinations by the end of the year. Is this what some charter schools are doing to produce such high ranks. Food for thought.
Lastly, as mentioned by Ms. Sprowal and the school psychologist in the article the emotional toll this experience has put on such a young child like Matthew is great. As well, the division of the charter school students and other public schools students in the same school building brings to mind thoughts of how education was conducted between white and blacks in this country decades ago.
One must also be reminded that this is an article from one persons point of view; it is sure to be biased and does portray HSA in a very negative light. Though assuming the chain of events in the article are all true it greatly discredits popular theory that charter schools are the savior of public education. Ironically Mrs. Sprowal was able to transfer Matthew OUT of a charter school and INTO a public school where he was given more attention, respect and room to succeed.
Here is a unique story that provides a look on the opposite end of the spectrum: a child unable to receive the adequate care and support from a charter school to being able to find solace under the direction of a public school. It's not a scenario you hear about everyday, but it does go to show that some charters do have their faults and may not be as bright as they appear to be at first glance. The strict routine that the administration of HSA believed their students should adhere to was unnecessary in my eyes and while the priority should be to foster an atmosphere for students to learn, they should still be able to be kids in the process and enjoy their youth. Because Matthew did not fit the criteria the school thought all of its students should, he had a feeling of being unwanted and a "bad child". The move to P.S. 75 was not only a great one because it gave Matthew the attention he needed, but also shows that there are indeed public schools that are following the right path and can be successful, even if it means implementing new strategies for teaching such as the co-teaching model and smaller class sizes they put in place to help students like Matthew get the best out of their schooling.
Seeing as how Matthew is a special needs student, one question that can be raised is that if the selection for charter schools is determined by a lottery, why is it that so few special education students manage to get in to most of them? This may be due in part to many charters not having enough services to accomodate them but nonetheless students with special needs deserve just as much a chance to receive a good education as any other student, even if it is under different means. There are some charters out there, such as the New York Center for Autism Charter School which I had the privilege to visit over the summer, which do adhere to students with select disabilities and learning styles, but for those who can't find a charter to take them in, they should not be turned away or made to be in a situation that is unable to give them the amount of support they need.
This is an interesting story that allows us to see how a charter school handled having a child with special needs in its program. Much of what I hear about charter schools is how successful and hardworking they are at making sure children are getting the best education. However, this story seems to be the opposite.
In the beginning of this journey Katherine Sprowal thought her son was going to receive a wonderful education with the charter school being well supplied with cleaner and shinier classrooms than the public school. But when it came to fulfilling the needs of her special son, it seemed that the school was not interested.To me it seems that HSA gave up on Matthew and the teachers and principals there had no patience for him. It seems absurd giving a five year old detention for not walking in the hallway properly. When Matthew left HSA he felt unwanted, rejected and that he was a "bad child." Schools should help make every child feel their best and aim to achieve to the best of their ability.
On the other hand public school 75 welcomed Matthew with open arms and was able to provided him with what he needed to be successful in school. In this particular case we see how a public school was more adapt to handling children with special needs over a charter school.
This is a very shocking story to hear. It just goes to show that Charter Schools appear to be great, but not all of them are. This woman was so excited to have her son, Matthew chosen in this lottery. Once Matthew began school, he was receiving detention and after a few weeks he didn't seem happy about going to school. I think her son was treated very unfairly. It was shocking to see that the Charter School had no PTA and didn't care about the parents input. They also clearly did not want to deal with special needs students. Matthew seemed much happier in the Public School and they cared more about him as an individual.
This article raises a serious point that comes up often in the charter schools vs. public schools debate. How do charter schools service special needs students and English language learners? This article is a personal account of a mother of a special needs student.
ReplyDeleteMatthew was accepted to Harlem Success Academy #4, and at first, parents saw that the school seemed to be disciplined, well-stocked with supplies, and clean. However, there was no PTA so parental involvement and input was not encouraged by the school. Matthew struggled at the school and was separated from the rest of the class.
HAS wanted Matthew removed from the school, and little did they know, the school was doing him a favor more than he was doing them a favor. The charter schools were not equipped to handle Matthew’s needs because they were more concerned with performing at certain levels. The public school system made a difference, because they were able to bring back Matthew’s sense of self and desire to learn through the proper resources and help available to him.
As the debate continues, we will keep an eye on special education to see how it evolves and if charter schools will accommodate the needs of those learners.
This article is very interesting for a number of reasons. First Katherine Sprowal's story of her and her son's challenges with the Harlem Success Academy is evidence that not all charter schools are painted in gold the way many mediums portray them to be. It was refreshing to see another perspective on charter schools; an insider's view.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, charter schools constantly promote that they will work to do whatever it takes to ensure that every child succeeds and receives an effective education. They stress that all children deserve this and it is parents rights to choose whether their child will receive a quality education. Yet, here is a family that got through the lottery and made it into the school that Ms. Sprowal longed for her son, Matthew, to be a part of because of the lack of other options. Against the odds they got in but that did not stop HSA from deciding in three short weeks that Matthew, and a number of other students, were "uneducable" by HSA standards. Not only does this contradict every charter school mission statement I have ever heard but it makes me wonder if this is how officials like Eva Moscowitz are able to say that 100% of all their students ace the state examinations by the end of the year. Is this what some charter schools are doing to produce such high ranks. Food for thought.
Lastly, as mentioned by Ms. Sprowal and the school psychologist in the article the emotional toll this experience has put on such a young child like Matthew is great. As well, the division of the charter school students and other public schools students in the same school building brings to mind thoughts of how education was conducted between white and blacks in this country decades ago.
One must also be reminded that this is an article from one persons point of view; it is sure to be biased and does portray HSA in a very negative light. Though assuming the chain of events in the article are all true it greatly discredits popular theory that charter schools are the savior of public education. Ironically Mrs. Sprowal was able to transfer Matthew OUT of a charter school and INTO a public school where he was given more attention, respect and room to succeed.
Here is a unique story that provides a look on the opposite end of the spectrum: a child unable to receive the adequate care and support from a charter school to being able to find solace under the direction of a public school. It's not a scenario you hear about everyday, but it does go to show that some charters do have their faults and may not be as bright as they appear to be at first glance. The strict routine that the administration of HSA believed their students should adhere to was unnecessary in my eyes and while the priority should be to foster an atmosphere for students to learn, they should still be able to be kids in the process and enjoy their youth. Because Matthew did not fit the criteria the school thought all of its students should, he had a feeling of being unwanted and a "bad child". The move to P.S. 75 was not only a great one because it gave Matthew the attention he needed, but also shows that there are indeed public schools that are following the right path and can be successful, even if it means implementing new strategies for teaching such as the co-teaching model and smaller class sizes they put in place to help students like Matthew get the best out of their schooling.
ReplyDeleteSeeing as how Matthew is a special needs student, one question that can be raised is that if the selection for charter schools is determined by a lottery, why is it that so few special education students manage to get in to most of them? This may be due in part to many charters not having enough services to accomodate them but nonetheless students with special needs deserve just as much a chance to receive a good education as any other student, even if it is under different means. There are some charters out there, such as the New York Center for Autism Charter School which I had the privilege to visit over the summer, which do adhere to students with select disabilities and learning styles, but for those who can't find a charter to take them in, they should not be turned away or made to be in a situation that is unable to give them the amount of support they need.
This is an interesting story that allows us to see how a charter school handled having a child with special needs in its program. Much of what I hear about charter schools is how successful and hardworking they are at making sure children are getting the best education. However, this story seems to be the opposite.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of this journey Katherine Sprowal thought her son was going to receive a wonderful education with the charter school being well supplied with cleaner and shinier classrooms than the public school. But when it came to fulfilling the needs of her special son, it seemed that the school was not interested.To me it seems that HSA gave up on Matthew and the teachers and principals there had no patience for him. It seems absurd giving a five year old detention for not walking in the hallway properly. When Matthew left HSA he felt unwanted, rejected and that he was a "bad child." Schools should help make every child feel their best and aim to achieve to the best of their ability.
On the other hand public school 75 welcomed Matthew with open arms and was able to provided him with what he needed to be successful in school. In this particular case we see how a public school was more adapt to handling children with special needs over a charter school.
This is a very shocking story to hear. It just goes to show that Charter Schools appear to be great, but not all of them are. This woman was so excited to have her son, Matthew chosen in this lottery. Once Matthew began school, he was receiving detention and after a few weeks he didn't seem happy about going to school. I think her son was treated very unfairly. It was shocking to see that the Charter School had no PTA and didn't care about the parents input. They also clearly did not want to deal with special needs students. Matthew seemed much happier in the Public School and they cared more about him as an individual.
ReplyDelete