The Boston Sunday Globe - Education SectionTHE CHALKBOARD By Laura Pappano, 12/7/2003
At that age, some kids complain that adults send ''mixed messages,'' and the Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School would seem to be doing just that. It looks like a traditional school, and is part of the Barnstable school district, but operates independently, with its own board of trustees and a principal who acts as the school's CEO.
Say ''charter school'' in Massachusetts and people think of schools that are publicly funded but independent of the districts in which they reside. Horace Mann charters, however, are a hybrid: part of the district, but run on their own. In theory, these charters let districts match the passion people have for charter schools with accountability.
But of the 50 charter schools in Massachusetts, only seven are Horace Mann charters. Kristin McIntosh, associate commissioner for charter schools at the state Department of Education, said the lack of Horace Mann charter schools is ''something we have been puzzled about and been concerned about.''
Horace Mann schools face special challenges getting started: They must get teachers union and school committee approval, something not required of Commonwealth charters. But some education specialists say the lack of Horace Mann schools is more about old-guard mentality than fear of three-way negotiations.
''There is a mindset for many administrators in public education that the way to organize education is for them to have a school system, rather than a system of schools,'' said Joe Nathan, director of the Center for School Change at the University of Minnesota. ''Many school superintendents have been trained by colleges and programs that, `This is the way we do education.' ''
Meg Maccini, head of Boston Evening Academy, one of two Horace Mann charters in Boston, says confusion is a barrier. ''There is ambiguity around what they are,'' she said. Maccini, whose school operates in the afternoon to accommodate students who work, are parents, or have not succeeded elsewhere, said the demands of the federal No Child Left Behind law to make sure all students can pass state tests means districts must become more creative.
''Not every school is good for every kid,'' said Maccini.
It may seem like an obvious idea, but it's one many districts resist, believing that better or different classroom techniques -- not different schools -- will reach all children. The notion of specialized schools is not new, but in-district charter schools with more fiscal autonomy and more accountability is a twist that might offer districts fresh options.
That's what Fall River Superintendent Richard D. Pavao believes. Last week he said his district would submit a proposal to the state Board of Education to open a Horace Mann charter high school for 800 to 1,000 students.
Pavao envisions a ''Horace Mann where we can focus in on math and science and language arts and find kids who could benefit from small class sizes.'' The school would serve ''the most needy academically,'' he said.
In most districts with Horace Mann charters, the schools have similarly targeted a specific student population. Several directors said operating independently means being able to make quicker and more fiscally sound decisions tailored to student needs.
''The Horace Mann charters have the ability to make hard choices,'' said Ferdinand Fuentes, director of the Champion Horace Mann Charter School in Brockton, which serves students who have dropped out of a previous school. Even though he faced a September budget cut, Fuentes said he could still decide, for example, to have two math teachers instead of a math and a science teacher; and instead of spending $45,000 on computers, to lease 15 new Gateways for $24,000 over three years.
Horace Mann charters also can respond quickly to issues. Bruce Shaw, director of New Leadership Horace Mann Charter School in Springfield, gathered with his board in the Urban League conference room in June and voted to give kids double math and double English classes this school year after test scores last year showed they needed it. Mid-November reading scores showed improvements, Shaw said.
''In a regular district, by the time it went to the school committee, it would be months,'' said Shaw, who noted that the school has a longer year (204 days, compared with 180) and the school day is about an hour longer, for which teachers are compensated.
In Barnstable, the situation is different, but offers a provocative model. Instead of serving specialized students, Barnstable's Horace Mann charter serves all fifth- and sixth-graders in the district. Superintendent Andre Ravenelle wants more of Barnstable's students to join them. The state Board of Education will vote in Febrary on the district's applications to make two elementary schools into Horace Mann charters. Ravenelle has encouraged all 12 of the district's schools to become charters.
Still, Tom McDonald, principal of the Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School, said it requires more work at the school level. All accountability and year-end reports required by the state, for example, must be submitted by the school, not the district.
''You trade those things for increased flexibility and the ability to make your own decisions,'' said McDonald, who at one point used $100,000 in interest earned from the budget allocation for teacher professional development.
Kathy Cunningham, a board of trustees member, said parents now know what their children are studying. ''It lets you know what's expected,'' said Cunningham, a parent of four, including a fifth-grader. ''That's huge.''
Ravenelle said charter schools aren't necessarily better than traditional schools, but are another tool for districts, particularly when money is tight. Tired of telling principals how much to cut budgets, Ravenelle said the charter model ''is one opportunity for giving people some chances and ownership in making their schools better.''
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This story ran on page B12 of the Boston Globe on 12/7/2003.
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