The Echo

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.