Sec. Murphy's statement to the NJ regarding Pencader

There's a lot of conjecture out there right now about what will happen to Pencader. I've had a renewed run on the telephone with parents asking if our school will be closed. To that end, rather than conjecture, I asked the PIO at DOE if I could have a copy of the statement sent by Sec. Murphy to the News Journal. She quickly supplied it.

Italicized to indicate direct quote and statement entirety.
Here it is:

Last year the State Board of Education placed Pencader Business and Finance Charter School on probation <http://www.doe.k12.de.us/news/2011/0722.shtml> . The school faced closure because of governance and financial issues.

Over the past 13 months, the Delaware Department of Education has been providing support to the school to help its leadership regarding several outstanding issues. Through this partnership, the school made significant progress improving in many financial issues. However, in recent months the school's leadership in several instances has failed to follow the state's guidance on governance and financial issues. The school also failed to address these remaining issues on its own.

The department, in partnership with the State Board of Education, is becoming increasingly concerned about the school's viability and the effect on students and families. Specifically, the following ongoing issues are threatening the school's viability:

o Decreasing enrollment

General's Office investigation into violation of Freedom of Information Act

o Pension Board referral to Attorney General for investigation of possible criminal and/or civil violations

o Failure to implement mission statement

o Possible conflicts of interest with various contracts

o Building-level financial oversight concerns

For several months state officials have attempted to work with the school, giving its board ample opportunity to improve voluntarily. The board has demonstrated limited capacity to govern the school. Students, families and staff deserve better.

"Conditions have deteriorated over the past few weeks and action is required," State Board of Education President Teri Quinn Gray said. "We are trying to do what is best for students, families and staff both for this school year and, hopefully, for the future."

Secretary of Education Mark Murphy said, "President Teri Quinn Gray and I will be meeting with the Pencader Board leadership next week, wherein these issues will be resolved one way or another."

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My Statement At the Public Hearing on the Future of Pencader Charter

Last Wednesday I attended the public hearing on the future of Pencader Charter School.  For several weeks prior to the hearing I had received correspondence from Christina constituents regarding the Charter School Accountability Committee's recomendation to revoke the schools charter.  I chronicalled much of their fight here on C&E 1st.  I also approached the school's leaders to discuss the schools financial viability and history of achievement and rates of graduation.  I arrived at my own personal opinion regarding Pencader's place in Delaware's educational landscape.  I presented those opinions during the public hearing.  Mine was but one short statement during a hearing that ran nearly five hours, far exceeding the two hours originally allotted by DOE. I was not the only elected official to offer a statement - Sen. Margaret Rose Henry sent a representative on her behalf to request that Pencader continue to operate.

I made statement 1) knowing that there would likely be repercussions back at home from those who are unable to speak frankly about Christina's acheivement struggles 2) acknowledging that this was an opportunity to have honest discussions about achievement and the current state of education across Delaware, and 3) betting that some media outlet would fully distort my message (which absolutely occurred in the Thursday News Journal and was finally partially rectified online Saturday night.)

Today, I am posting my entire statement, as it was presented during the hearing in Dover:

Good Evening,                                                 July 12, 2011


I am Elizabeth Scheinberg. While I am a school board member in the Christina School District, I am not here to speak on behalf of the Board. However, I have been asked by my constituents to share my personal concerns for the Christina Students who attend Pencader Charter High School.

I am fully aware of the status of Pencader’s finances. Their deficit is not insurmountable and pales in comparison to the debt that my own district actualized only five short years ago. It was our legislative champions who recognized the dire need for the Christina School District to continue operating. Today, that same dire need exists for Pencader. To that end, our dedicated legislators have acted to impart the necessary safeguards through HB 205. As of today, the bill is before the Governor awaiting his signature. His hesitation should not be held against Pencader or any other charter school.

I’d like to talk to share my thoughts on the impact of closing Pencader Charter High School and my concerns for the approximately 308 Christina School District Students who have choiced to Pencader. If Pencader were be closed, 308 Christina families will be forced into a mad dash for placements for their children. Some may, although it’s highly unlikely, find a home at other existing charter schools. Those who are economically advantaged may seek out Delaware’s private schools, space permitting.

However, in all likelihood, the majority of my 308 Christina students will return to their home schools, Newark, Christiana, and Glasgow. I welcome those students back with open arms. However, in doing so, I am ethically-compelled to address the hard reality of Christina’s achievement history, especially that of my comprehensive secondary schools. It is an unpopular decision to vocalize these concerns. But, these are the hard conversations that must occur if we are to improve achievement outcomes for all students in Delaware.

Christina is currently a district under academic watch.

Newark High School, traditionally referred to by the community as our college prep school, is in Academic Watch. Newark High School is closed to choice due to capacity limitations and will likely remain so for some time to come. Only those Christina students who naturally feed into Newark High can be accommodated at NHS.

Glasgow High School is also under Academic Watch, in addition to undergoing an intense, disruptive, and destabilizing transformation as part of its selection into the Partnership Zone. As we prepare to re-open Glasgow for the 2011-2012 school year, we have already completed assigning students into academies according to preference. While Glasgow will have a business academy, that option is only available to freshman and sophomores, and only if space permits. Juniors and Seniors who transfer to Glasgow will be required to join the Success Academy. Even though Christina’s s juniors and seniors at Pencader have already demonstrated a commitment to completing their secondary education with a business focus, the business academy will NOT be available to them.

Christiana High School is currently under Academic Progress, a rating shared by Pencader. However, CHS spent much of the 2010-11 school year in triage after the loss of its foundation, when our capable principal left to work with the Department of Education. It was spring before Christina was able to hire a permanent replacement. While I am confident that CHS will rise above its recent instability, it should be noted that

1) DCAS data and AYP achievement are embargoed until the July 21st State Board of Education Meeting, and until the embargo is lifted, it is nearly impossible for the constituents to determine if CHS has continued to improve achievement and therefore could be a good fit for any of Christina’s Pencader students.

2) There are prolific rumors abounding regarding which schools will be selected by the Department of Education to be a part of the final cohort of Partnership Zone schools. Many in our community deeply believe that CHS will go into the PZ, the net result of which would be prolonged de-stablization while turnaround plans are created, approved, finalized, and implemented. I am troubled because I cannot assure my constituents that CHS will not be chosen for PZ intervention.

As a district, Christina is working hard to improve our educational offerings and increase student achievement. I applaud the many dedicated employees in Christina who have made student success their number one priority. But if student success is to be the pinnacle priority, we must admit the reality – Pencader’s businees offerings do not innately streamline with Christina’s academic offerings or electives, nor can we offer Christina’s Pencader students a seamless transition into a comprehensive high school that performs on par or better than Pencader.

While many of us are here today to support the continued operation of Pencader, I have come to support Christina’s children and families, who have chosen Pencader for their academic future. I understand why many of these Christina families choiced out of the district. For at least a decade, Christina leadership fostered an environment of status quo failure. While I am certain that today, the Christina board is driven to mitigate the failures of our predecessors, we still have much heavy lifting to do. The families at Pencader have made their choice and I believe that given a solid plan for financial solvency, it is our moral obligation to continue to respect the decisions of those families and allow their children to remain at Pencader.

Turning families out at the end of July is morally-reprehensible. Again, I reiterate that I believe Pencader will be solvent. However, should closure be the ultimate recommendation, we owe our families a comprehensive exit plan. I urge the decision-makers to approve Pencader’s operation for an additional year, to prove their solvency, and provide accountability regarding said solvency in January 2012. Should Pencader fail in this task, such a delay would allow for DOE and the receiving districts and schools to plan appropriately for the transition of the affected students, while providing parents and guardians with the time to research which school would be the best option for their family. I believe that given such a plan, Pencader will prove successful and continue operating for years to come.

I urge you to support Pencader Charter School, and respect the work of their reconfigured board and school leadership. When we speak of student achievement, we speak of haste, of racing – the time is now! Despite Pencader’s financial woes, Pencader’s student achievement was NOT impacted. Their time is now and we, educators, tax payers, and Delawareans, need to give this school a second chance.

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Will Rep. Kenton Stand for Pencader?

Kenton's Response to a constituent -

Per Rep. Kenton-

The State Legislature will be in session. Therefore the likely hood of my being able to attend is questionable. Thank you for your email and invitation. I wish you and your students all the best and continued success in the future.
Harvey

Margaret Moore Dean
Legislative Assistant/House Minority Caucus

Legislative Hall
Dover, Delaware 19903
Telephone: 302-744-4267
Fax: 302-739-2773
Email address: Margaret.Moore-Dean@state.de.us

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Conflict of Interest: Head of DOE Charter Office to Serve as Charter Hearing Officer???

From Kilroy's:

http://kilroysdelaware.wordpress.com/

In a letter to Reach Academy, Dep. Sec. of Education Dan Cruce states that John Carwell, the head of the DOE Charter School Accountibility Committee will be their hearing officer.  John Carwell heads the committee that recommended closing the school. 

How can John Carwell be a non-partison player in a hearing that his committee set in motion when it recommended closing the school?

Gov Markell,
How will you ensure that Reach and Pencader receive fair hearings when DOE is stacking the deck with biased officers???

DE Legislators,
What will you do to ensure fairness and integrity is inflicted into these Charter processes?  Background checks is barely a start? How about ensuring the Department of Education follows the laws you pass? 

Remember the voters today, because they will remember you in November...

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Will Sen. Dori Conner Stand with Pencader?

Letter from Dori Connor to her constituent regarding Pencader Charter High School:

XXXXX,

Many of us have made inquiry into your situation and are awaiting answers from the Dept of Education and do not know of any action that is taking place to change the course. I applaud your open meeting on the 21st and am hopeful for a successful event.

I am not able to attend your gathering due to my responsibilities and required attendance for Legislative Session in Dover on the day. At this time of year our agendas tend to be quite lengthy and no one can predict the length of debate on each proposal, that is why I am not at liberty to commit my attendance at any function on session days. These next two weeks are our final days with a close-out date of the 30th. Our days are very long and go into the evening and in the last week we have a history of even going in the next morning.

In closing, as a parent and former educator, please know that I have been a strong supporter of families having the opportunity to select the education plan that is best for their child…..be it public, charter or private. Again I regret that I am not able to attend on the 21st.

Yours in Service,
Dori Connor
State Senator

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