APPROACHES TOMORROW. THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE
WEATHER YET AGAIN TOMORROW
AFTERNOON.
AFTERNOON. >>> A WANT TO TAKE THE NEXT FEW
MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT CHARTER
SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS. DESIGNED TO GIVE FAMILIES MORE
OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO 4@
QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION.
D.C. HAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
CHARTER SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THE
COUNTRY BUT AN INVESTIGATION
REVEALED SOME FAMILIES ARE
COMPLAINING ABOUT CHAOS WITHIN
THAT SYSTEM.
THAT SYSTEM. >> Reporter: YOU COULD HEAR A
PIN DROP ON THIS NIGHT BACK IN
DECEMBER.
DECEMBER.
DECEMBER. WHEN WASHINGTON D.C.'S ONLY K-3
PERFORMANCE ART SCHOOL, 4@CITY
ARTS AND PREP PUBLIC CHARTER
SCHOOL WAS SHUT DOWN BY THE
CITY'S CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD.
IT ALMOST FELT LIKE A FUNERAL.
>> CAN YOU DO THIS NOW?
>> CAN YOU GIVE ME 10 MINUTES?
WE IMMERSED FIT MET DIRECTOR
LYNETTE DALY REESE INSIDE THE
CHARTER SCHOOL, WORKING 4@SO HA
TO SAVE4@ ♪ ♪.
>> BEEN ABLE TO WALK IN AND
WATCH KIDS 4th AND 5th GRADE
SING THEIR HEARTS OUT OR STEP
INTO THE THEATER ROOM AND WATCH
KIDS ACT INTO MONOLOGUES.
THOSE THINGS THAT MADE ME FALL
IN LOVE WITH CITY ARTS.
>> Reporter: HERE THE SCHOOL
INTEGRATES MUSIC, ART AND DRAMA
WITH TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM
LEARNING.
LEARNING.
LEARNING. WHAT4@ THESE STUDENTS MOST NEED
TO BE AWARE OF, D.C.'S PUBLIC
CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD.
SEVEN MEN AND WOMEN WITH THE
POWER TO SHUT DOWN THEIR SCHOOL
. CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE LIKE
TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN
THAT THE4@Y ARE FREE AND OPEN T
ALL CHILDREN, BUT CHARTER
SCHOOLS OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY
FROM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS
LIKE DCPS SO THEY CAN DESIGN
THEIR OWN PROGRAMS AND
CURRIC4@ULUM TO MEET STUDENT
NEEDS.
NEEDS.
NEEDS. BUT HERE'S THE THING. CHARTER
SCHOOLS ARE STILL FUNDED BY
TAXPAYERS, SO THERE HAS TO BE
SOME OVERSIGHT.
SOME OVERSIGHT. THAT FALLS TO PUBLIC CHARTER
SCHOOL BOARDS WHICH ACTUALLY
HAS THE ABILITY TO SHUT THE
CHARTER SCHOOL DOWN IF TEST
SCORES ARE HIGH ENOUGH.
THIS 114@ -YEAR-OLD WAS SCORING
LOW AT HER OLD SCHOOL. MOSTLY,
HER MOM SAYS BECAUSE SHE WAS
BULLIED INTO LIKE SHE DID NOT
FIT IN.
FIT IN.
FIT IN. ALL THAT CHANGED WHEN SHE GOT
TO CITY ARTS ARTS.
HOW 4@MUCH BETTER WAS AT THEIR
THE NEW LAW SCHOOL?
>> WAY BETTER TREATMENT WHAT
WAS SO WE BETTER BETTER?
>> I DIDN'T GET BULLIED, IT HAS
ARTS AND THAT I HAVE GOOD4@
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS. >> Reporter: NOW SHE IS AN
HONOR ROLL STUDENT.
HER BIGGEST STRESS THESE DAYS? @
WHEN SOMEONE GETS OUT OF STEP
DURING THE CLASS PERFORMANCE.
WHILE CITY ARTS ARE BEHIND-THE-
SCENES ABOUT THE SCORES THAT 4@
FELL SHORT OF THE REQUIREMENTS.
>> I BELIEVE WHAT WE DID HERE
WAS MORE VALUABLE THEN THIS IDEA
OF MEAT 50% FOR YOUR CLOSED.
>> Reporter: 50% AS THE
MEASURING STICK FOR NEARLY ALL @
CHARTER SCHOOLS IN WASHINGTON
D.C. UNDER WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE
CHARTER SCHOOLS IN WASHINGTON D.C. UNDER WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE@
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK.
FRAMEWORK. IT IS THE AGGREGATED SCORE OF A
CHARTER SCHOOL'S PERFORMANCE
BASED ON THINGS LIKE TEST
SCORES AND ATTENDANCE.
CHARTER SCHOOLS MUST SCORE 50%
OR BETTER OR FACE LOSING THEIR
CHARTER AND CLOSING.
CITY ARTS MOST RECENT READIN4@G
FALLING JUST SHORT OF THAT MARK
AT 46.3%.
AT 46.3%.
AT 46.3%. >> THESE ARE CERTAINLY NOT ANY
DECISIONS WE TAKE LIGHTLY.
>> Reporter: AND ITS 15 YEAR
REVIEW THE CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD
GATHERED FOR THE DE4@CISIVE VOT
ABOUT WHETHER TO REVOKE CITY
ARTS' CHARTER.
ARTS' CHARTER. >> I WILL 4@APPLY THE RULE OF
PERFORMANCE TO ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE FOR A SCHOOL THAT
HA4@S BEEN AROUND 15 YEARS. CIT
ARTS ARGUED ITS TMF SCORE WAS
IMPROVING, UP FOUR-POINT SINCE
THE PREVIOUS YEAR, TRENDING
TOWARD THAT MAGICAL 50% MARK
AND THE TEST SCORES FOR AT RISK
STUDENTS WERE ACTUALLY HIGHER
THEN MANY OF ITS PEERS SCHOOLS.
>> EVEN A LOW PERFORMING SCHOOL
WILL HAVE EXTRAORDINARY TEACHERS
. EVEN A LOW PERFORMING SCHOOL
WILL HAVE SOME STUDENTS WHO ARE
THRIVING IN THAT SCHOOL.
>> Reporter: IN FACT WE FOUND
17 OTHER D.C. CHARTER SCHOOLS
WITH LOWER SCORES THEN CITY
ARTS AND PREP. SCOTT PEARSON,
THE BOARD'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SAID THAT IS BECAUSE IT IS A
SLIDING SCALE AND WITH THE LAW
IS WRITTEN, TH4@E LONGER A SCHO
HAS BEEN 4@AROUND THE TOUGHER
STANDARDS BECOME. AT A CHARTER
SCHOOL'S 15 YEAR REVIEW IF
SCORES ARE BELOW THE 50%
THRESHOLD, NO MATTER HOW SLIGHT,
PEARSON SAYS THE4@ BOARD HAS NO
CHOICE BUT TO SHUT THE SCHOOL
DOWN.
DOWN.
DOWN. >>
DOWN. >> PERSONALLY I THINK IT WOULD
HAVE BEEN NICE TO HAVE THE
FLEXIBILITY AT 15 YEARS TO GIVE
A SCHOOL A CHANCE IF THEY
DEMONSTRATE TO US THEY COULD
IMPROVE4@, BUT THE WAY THE LAW @
WRITTEN WE HAVE A LOT MORE
FLEXIBILITY WITH SCHOOLS 4@AT
FIVE YEARS AND TEN YEARS THEN
WE DO 15.
WE DO 15.
WE DO 15. DESPITE THAT CITY ARTS SPENT 18
MONTHS IN MORE THEN $60,000 IN
LEGAL FEES TRYING TO STAY OPEN.
THE 15 YEAR RULE CONFUSING EVEN
SOME BOARD MEMBERS.
>> I'M NOT SURE WHY WE WOULD
ASK THE SCHOOL TO GO THROUGH 4@
ALL THE WORK REQUIRED TO COME
BEFORE THIS BODY IF THERE IS NO
--4@ I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD
HAVE A VOTE IF THE OUTCOME IS
PREDETERMINED PREDETERMINED. 4@
>> Reporter: STILL, OTHER BOARD
MEMBERS HAD CONCERNS THAT WENT
BEYOND THE SCORES THEMSELVES
SAYING IN SCHOOL VISITS
REVEALED CHAOTIC CLASSROOMS AND
DISINTERESTED TEACHERS4@4@4@ AN
SPLIT 5- 2 VOTE 4@THE BOARD
REVOKE THE CHARTER OF CITY ARTS
SPLIT 5- 2 VOTE 4@THE BOARD REVOKE THE CHARTER OF CITY ARTS@
AND PREP.
AND PREP.
AND PREP. IT WILL CLOSE FOR GOOD JUNE 14.
>> GIVE ME 30 SECONDS 4@ON WHAT
YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW?
>> I CAN'T.
SORRY.
SORRY.
SORRY. >>
SORRY. >> Reporter: TEACHERS AND
PARENTS WERE DEVASTATED. 4@SCHO
LEADERS, SHELLSHOCKED4@.
LEADERS, SHELLSHOCKED4@. >> DON'T THINK WE ARE THE ONLY
SCHOOL BECAUSE WERE NOT
ANYTHING THAT IS UNFAIR.
>> Reporter: AND AND A LA FOR
THE PERFORMING ARTS IN THE 4@
CLASSMATES SHE LOVES SHARING
THEM WITH.
THEM WITH. >> I FEEL SAD. WHAT WAS IT
ABOUT THE LOSS OF THE SC4@HOOL
THEY HATE YOU HARDEST?
>> THAT IT WOULDN'T SEE MY
FRIENDS ANYMORE ANYMORE.
>> Reporter: STILL SEARCHING FOR
A NEW SCHOOL, WORRIED SHE WILL
NEVER FIND4@, WHAT SHE HAD HERE
>> 400 CAR HACK ---FOR THE KIDS
WITH CITY ARTS THIS YEAR ARE
THEY BETTER OFFER THEY ARE
GOING.
GOING.
GOING. THAT'S THE QUESTION YOU GET THE
ANSWERS NO WHAT ARE WE DOING? 4@
♪ ♪4@.
♪ ♪4@.
♪ ♪4@. >>
♪ ♪4@. >> WE DID SOME HOMEWORK OF OUR
OWN AND DISCOVERED 43 DIFFERENT
D.C. PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS
HAVE BEEN FORCED TO CLOSE THEIR
DOORS IN THE LAST DECADE ALONE,
PUTTING MORE THEN 11,000
STUDENTS ON THE STREET. 4@4@
ANEC4@DOTALLY WE KNOW 4@WHEN
FAMILIES LOSE A CHARTER SCHOOL
OPTION LIKE CITY ARTS THEY
OFTEN END UP 4@JUST REVERTING T
A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL CLOSEST IN
THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, EVEN IF THE
SCORES OF THE TRADITIONAL
SCHOOL ARE LOWER THEN 4@THE SCO
THEY HAD AT THE CHARTER SCHOOL
THEY WERE AT.
>> DOESN'T SEEM FAIR.
KIDS HAVE ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT@
, WHERE THEY GO TO SCHOOL NEXT
YEAR SHOULD NOT BE ONE OF THE
THINGS THEY HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT.
ABOUT.
ABOUT. >>
ABOUT. >> TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT,
THAT IS WHY TONIGHT AT 11:00 WE
ARE GOING TO PRESS THE CHARTER
SCHOOL BOARD