Isn’t “The Teaching Firm” otherwise known as “Private School”?

When I read things like “… creating growth in government sector jobs” and “… teaching firm would receive its per pupil funds” alarms go off because this is where “run government like a business” goes off the rails. Fact is even with charter schools it is still government money (IE: yours and my tax dollars, some borrowed from the very children we claim to serve) and it is still a government operation and it is going to operate like a government–creating burgeoning bureaucracies.

“The Teaching Firm” falls short because, unlike the private sector examples, customers really aren’t (customers that is) because they’re “spending” OPM with inconsequential skin in the game and these “Firms” cannot truly fail. I would argue that were DCSS viewed as a “Firm” it has already failed and yet on it goes. Why? Because “failure is not an option” and when a government agency says that it means two things. First, you cannot get rid of us or even shrink us. And we’ll just re-define success, making failure go away.

Now if you really want to create a “Teaching Firm” you must follow the model of the private sector. Teachers and teacher-managers must create this firm and going out on your own like this takes tremendous fortitude (and capital). Then they must convince parents that money spent on “The Firm” is money well spent. And to the greatest extent possible (>>0) it really needs to be the parents’ money.

A group of parents are doing just what you said. Please read this web site. http://www.tapestrycharter.org/index.html

My point is this model does not work on public funding alone. The public per-student funding is not enough to support co-teaching small classes. Have you spoken to Mrs. Corrigan about why the tuition at Sophia Academy is so large? I don’t know, but I doubt it is because she is pocketing large profits.

At this time all parents do “have access to special instruction for their student with a learning disability.” Until federal laws change, public schools are mandated to provide a free and appropriate education to all children who enroll regardless of neurodiversity. Free and appropriate is not the same as proper. Yes. What you wrote in your last sentence would be wonderful.

I find it appalling that in DeKalb County there is such a discrepancy in quality of services between schools with deep-pocketed foundations and schools without. I find it appalling that the county does not provide high quality special education services for all of it’s students. Please note I did not imply the teachers in DeKalb County are not of high quality. I am very happy with 98% of all of the teachers I have met. However, the county sets obstacles in their way such as too much paperwork, too many children in a class, and not enough support for the teachers. These affect the education the children receive.

The difference is access to money. While I believe Charter Schools can be wonderful “Teaching Firms” as Mrs. Jester described, to make that happen will require removing the obstacles of the central office and access to money. Given a limited pot of funding, the only way to pay high-performing teachers more is to pay other people less. This management style works for people who are working for money, but not for people who are working because they love teaching and children. Teachers shouldn’t be competing with their coworkers for raises.

It was discovered and printed at the AJC that DeKalb had far too many administrators:
Report: DeKalb schools have too many administrators
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/report-dekalb-schools-have-too-many-administrators/nQQTY/

The response from Atkinson should have been alarming:

Atkinson said she’s not sure how closely she’ll follow the consultant’s proposal.

“This is their recommendation,” she said. “We’ll take it now and massage it.”

And then, we read later in the AJC:
Former colleagues are key for DeKalb superintendent
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/former-colleagues-are-key-for-dekalb-superintenden/nQNzz/

Reaching back a decade and across multiple states, DeKalb County’s new school Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson has assembled her team of top-level administrators, choosing three people she previously worked alongside.

Yep. She massaged it alright!!

That lean system of accountability (bureaucracy) must be
• agile enough to completely allow educators to use their skills, knowledge and positive attitudes to teach students;
• able to collaboratively address (with other Teaching Firms(?)) accessibility needs described by Tucker Guy;
• all things to all the people it serves (e.g., mitigator of corruption and mismanagement in the Teaching Firm, provider of parental resources, obstacle remover for educators, etc.)
• a collaborator with all people it serves;
• a communicator of objectives and results to the community in which its located; and
• other things I haven’t thought of yet.

Once a Teaching Firm is defined also by having some sort of lean accountability system, then next step is to change naysayers’ paradigms to a Teaching-Firm paradigm. To create buy-in.

I believe, Nancy, you’re already 50 steps ahead of where I am now in wrapping my brain around this paradigm. I like it, but don’t see yet how people can effectively make the Teaching-Firm paradigm an effective and efficient reality. Perhaps the next steps for now are continued prayer and providing awareness? Thank you very much for continuing to provide awareness.

What happens when each school chooses a specialty and none of them are special education?

At this time the Tapestry Charter School board is fundraising and looking for a location, but they are not willing to share their business model because it is not feasible based on public funding. Proof that even when there is a school willing to provide for students with special needs, the per-student funding is not enough. (Full disclosure – I am planning on enrolling one of my children when they open. It is going to be a very good school.)

So, what happens to the hearing impaired, or autistic, or developmentally delayed, student whose family doesn’t have the ability to move to the nearest school which can educate their child? Or, in the case of charter schools, what happens when there isn’t enough room and they don’t win the lottery?

In regards to providing teachers with a more professional work environment, I completely agree. I have seen teachers in trailers who could easily outperform many of the six-figure VPs I have encountered. Yet, they do what they love regardless of the obstacles put in their paths by “educrats”. You are correct, we do need a way to maximize the talents of the teachers.

One final thought. Successful schools are those with involved parents. I believe this has been shown to be true regardless of social or economic factors. The current school of thought with says “a highly competent teacher” is the biggest factor to student success is flawed. Parents who enforce bedtime, are engaged with their children’s school work, and provide a nutritious breakfast are the biggest factor in student success.

The question is, can our principals handle a budget?

Your leadership and integrity are unquestionable. You served with both grace and dignity to the very end. The governor may have difficulty finding your equal.

Some (indeed maybe even most) Board Members, like so many of DeKalb County’s elected and appointed public officials suffer from the entitlement complex. The public offices they hold are not opportunities to serve all their fellow citizens; rather they are entitlements apportioned to them on the basis of the accidents of their race and the historic wrongs that their forebearers suffered. These are not very good bases for electing, appointing to, or holding public offices. But this is what the majority of voters in DeKalb seem to have settled for.

Frankly, your actions provide inspiration to the creation of a new super-hero, Actuary Mom.

You may seek another public office, judging from these comments. Best wishes moving forward, there are no shortages of issues that might wither under your liberal use of disinfecting transparency and willingness to take on institutional waste, fraud, and abuse.

“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”

-Mother Theresa