In-District Charter Schools Clear Hurdle (MA)

November 4, 2010

The School Committee unanimously approved last night the conversion of a middle school and a high school into in-district charter schools, under a new state law that aims to turn around low-performing schools.

Under the proposals, Patrick Gavin Middle School in South Boston would shut down at the end of this school year and reopen as UP Academy in fall 2011.

The high school conversion might take longer. Superintendent Carol R. Johnson has not yet identified the high school, but said its transformation into the Green Academy, a college preparatory program that would target academically struggling students, would happen by fall 2012.

Before the conversions can take place, the plans must be approved by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in February. The conversions would be the first in the state under the new law.

“We are excited to put forward applications for two schools that woul d provide parents with innovative options that prioritize college readiness,’’ Johnson wrote in a memorandum to the committee.

The School Committee approved the plan on the night the board was originally scheduled to vote on closing five schools and merging two others. But Johnson requested a delay as she tries to determine whether more schools will need to close to help close a projected $63 million shortfall next year.

The meeting nevertheless drew roughly 200 parents, students, staff, and community activists, dozens of whom pleaded with the committee to keep their schools open.

Gabriela Pires, a fifth-grader at Emerson Elementary School in Roxbury, one of the schools targeted for closing, shared her story of how she learned to speak English at the Emerson after arriving from Cape Verde.

“The Emerson will always be my favorite school and my second home,’’ Gabriela said.

Jesus Ortiz, a third-grader, told the committee that Emerson’s possible closing causes him to cry often and that it hurts his mother to see him sad.

“My mom can’t do anything about the pain in my heart,’’ Jesus said, “but you can.’’

During the committee’s discussion of the delay, some members acknowledged the emotional difficulty of closing schools but said failing to do so could require devastating cuts to classrooms across the city.

The School Committee had only a few questions for Johnson before voting on the charter school proposals. Some questions centered on how the UP Academy would enroll students. Although Johnson said that all sixth- and seventh-graders at the Gavin would be guaranteed seats next year, UP Academy has been asking parents to fill out admission applications.

UP Academy, under the supervision of the School Department, will be run by Unlocking Potential, a Boston nonprofit that seeks to take over the management of low-performing schools and turn them around.

Scott Given, Unlocking Potential’s chief executive officer, said that the school would be open to all Gavin students, but that state rules required students to complete applications. He said his team is calling parents to make sure they fill out the applications.

“Our mission is to serve every student at Gavin Middle School,’’ Given told the board, adding that the school is committed to teaching all students, including those with autism and those learning to speak English. “We want to make sure they have access to our school.’’

But Richard Stutman, the teachers union president, was unconvinced. In an interview, he called the application “an unnecessary obstacle designed to weed out some kids so they are not eligible for reenrollment.’’

A state law enacted in January allows Boston to open at least four of its own charter schools without seeking teachers union approval, a power aggressively sought by Mayor Thomas M. Menino as a way to improve the city’s school system.

In-district charter schools operate under scaled-back teachers union rules, making them unpopular among teachers unions. They also operate under fewer school district mandates, enabling them to choose their own academic programs.

Johnson hopes that converting the Gavin will reverse years of low results.

The Gavin has been targeted for restructuring under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. That is the act’s worst possible designatio n, requiring radical program changes and putting the school at risk of state takeover.

Boston operates two in-district charter high schools, which under a previous state law required union approval.