Duquesne schools examine survival strategies
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Connie Lucas, an elected school board member in the Duquesne City School District, holds little power.
A state board of control has overseen the academically and financially failing school district since November 2000, and last year announced the district's single school would close after the 2011-2012 year. But in the absence of any formal plan from the state on how to educate the district's children, Ms. Lucas and fellow board members are working to save and, more importantly, improve their K-8 school.
In the spring, state education department officials announced the planned elementary school closure and said that plans would likely be made to send the 440 elementary students to nearby districts on a tuition basis similar to the arrangement that sends Duquesne high school students to East Allegheny and West Mifflin Area high schools. State officials reiterated that stance in October with a letter to parents stating the district was unlikely to exist in its current form beyond this school year.
Since then, there has been silence from state officials on the future of the district.
So Ms. Lucas and a handful of other elected board members and community leaders have taken it upon themselves to rally support to keep an elementary school in Duquesne beyond this school year. On Tuesday they announced a community meeting for Feb. 7 to which they plan to invite state education officials, state and local elected officials, community members and school staff to discuss the future of the district.
"We want them to know that we have a community of people who are interested and that we do want to keep our school in our community, but not in its current form because it is failing. We want to see what our options are for a quality education in Duquesne," Ms. Lucas said.
In the 2011 round of state testing, Duquesne students did not hit any of the academic targets set by the state.
What Ms. Lucas and her cohorts didn't know is that the same day they made their announcement, state Education Secretary Ron Tomalis told a Senate Education Committee that creating legislation to allow charter schools to take over distressed schools such as Duquesne and Chester Upland, in Delaware County, could be part of the package his department drafts to address the needs of the state's financially and academically troubled school districts.
Chester Upland nearly ran out of money this month before a federal judge ordered the state to advance $3.2 million of its subsidies. Until the matter was taken to court by Chester Upland parents, Gov. Tom Corbett and Mr. Tomalis refused to help the district, saying it had created its own problems through mismanagement.
Mr. Tomalis' comments to the Senate committee apparently did not mark the first time state officials have examined the idea of bringing charter schools in to manage the state's distressed schools.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Friday on a draft legislative proposal from the governor's office that called for state takeovers of distressed school districts including Chester Upland and Duquesne, placing them under the supervision of a school reform commission similar to one operating in Philadelphia.
According to the Inquirer story, the proposal, dated Nov. 4, would allow that commission to cancel teachers' contracts and turn district schools into charter schools.
Tim Eller, press secretary for the state education department, cautioned that no legislation has been proposed. "While the secretary mentioned chartering, this could take many forms and would depend on what the final legislative language says," Mr. Eller wrote in an email.
Current state law allows for the conversion of a public school to a charter school under two scenarios: If a school district contracts out to an educational management organization to operate the district; or, if more than 50 percent of the parents or guardians agree and more than 50 percent of the teaching staff agrees and the charter organization submits its application by Nov. 15 of the previous year.
But if new legislation such as that referenced by Mr. Tomalis were approved, it could keep an elementary program in Duquesne.
It's an idea that intrigues Ms. Lucas, though she said she was unaware of the Corbett administration's proposal and that her group has not actively pursued bringing a charter school into Duquesne.
Stan Whiteman, president of Duquesne Education Association, said his union would oppose any effort that did not involve the employment of its membership. Mr. Whiteman said he plans to attend the Feb. 7 meeting to take part in the discussion.
Wythe Keever, spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said bringing in charter school organizations to manage distressed schools is not a meaningful solution because "it doesn't solve the academic problems and it does not solve the financial problems."
State Rep. Marc Gergely, D-White Oak, who represents Duquesne, said he won't support any proposal to convert Duquesne Elementary/Middle School into a charter school. He said he believes that the K-8 program should remain in Duquesne for the foreseeable future.
Mr. Gergely said there is not enough time left this year for the Legislature to come up with a "substantive" plan for the state's distressed schools and that the state should continue to "sincerely fund" Duquesne and the Chester Upland schools until such a plan is in place.
Ms. Lucas said keeping the current Duquesne Elementary/Middle School open is only a viable option if funding for a high-quality program is available.
"There can be no more of this failed system," she said.
First Published January 29, 2012 12:00 am
