IALA » Funding

Changing Traditional Schools: Impossible, Or….

Wayne Jennings — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:17:41 +0000

Many have noted the near impossibility of changing district schools. Many have tried. Billions (literally) have been spent on the effort. Despite small and temporary changes, there is virtually nothing to show for the exertion in the past 100 years. That’s why alternatives, charters, vouchers and other choice programs have arisen–or an institutional bypass, if you will.

Now, Boston with $400,000 of foundation support will expand their Pilot Schools program by reducing regulations on another series of schools. Schools will be freer to make program changes, alter staffing configuration, control staffing and determine budget allocations. This move long known in the trade as site based decision making often ends up as a tepid non-event because central offices (and often unions) will not support delegation of authority to that degree.

The only hope for new kinds of schools lies with alternatives of various kinds. However, a full blown program of the type Boston proposes has possibilities of bringing reform into a school district. Time will tell whether the bureaucracy smothers another reform.

Create New Schools

Wayne Jennings — Mon, 10 May 2004 19:07:59 +0000

Community Based Organizations (CBOs)have entered the education scene by sponsoring new charter schools. The YMCA of America, YouthBuild and the National Council of LaRaza are examples. YouthBuild received a $5.4 million Gates Foundation grant to establish 10 new schools to add to the network of 23 Youthbuild schools. How National Organizations and Their Affiliates Can Support the New Schools Strategy describes the backgound of this movement and provides details.

Schools within Schools

Wayne Jennings — Fri, 28 Nov 2003 17:41:38 +0000

A long standing practice to provide choices is the practice of creating schools within an existing school. For example, a large high school might have several subunits that serve as alternatives for students and staff. The Gates Foundation funds a large number of projects to carve large schools into smaller units, for example $55 million for Texas schools. A recent study by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education examines this movement in Cincinnati and Philadelphia for its effect on school culture, instruction and student performance.

For the most authoritative coverage of schools within schools, see Educational Alternatives for Everyone by Don Glines, specifically chapter 18. Don has been the voice for how schools can change for 40 years. Check him out!