11 schools to pursue themes
Grants to help low-performing schools reinvent themselves as magnets
By Diette Courrégé
Eleven of Charleston County's neighborhood schools hope to be reborn into higher-performing and themed schools that accept students from across the district.
School officials released the list of 11 schools Thursday that will receive $6,000 planning grants to create magnet-like proposals. Most of the schools applying for grants languish among the lowest-achieving in the district, and most have a high-poverty student body.
The Post and Courier/File
The initiative to develop 11 themed schools in the Charleston County School District is a cornerstone of Superintendent Nancy McGinley's improvement efforts.
The initiative is a cornerstone of schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley's improvement efforts, and it follows the statewide trend of giving more choices to parents. Her goal is to make these schools academically stronger and more economically and racially diverse.
Rather than district officials making decisions about what schools should offer, neighborhood planning teams of area residents, parents, business leaders and school faculty will collaborate to come up with ideas. The schools would begin implementing the new themes in fall 2009.
"It's coming from the ground up; it's not coming from 75 Calhoun," McGinley said. "It has to be owned at the school level for it to be exciting and for parents to be involved. I am totally encouraged by the amount of enthusiasm this has generated among those schools."
Schools will continue to accept students in their attendance areas, but students in that constituent district and in the county would be able to apply for seats in the school. This is similar to the setup of schools, such as St. Andrew's School of Math and Science, which is a model for what McGinley hopes to accomplish. St. Andrews was a struggling, traditional neighborhood school, but it has been in high demand since it began accepting students from across the county and added the math and science focus.
Schools get grants
The following schools each will receive $6,000 grants from the Charleston County School District to create a plan of the magnet program they'd like to offer. They are:
-- Charleston Progressive Academy
-- Chicora Elementary
-- Fraser Elementary
-- Haut Gap Middle
-- Hursey Elementary
-- James Simons Elementary
-- Jane Edwards Elementary
-- Laing Middle School
-- Memminger Elementary
-- Mitchell Elementary
-- Mt. Zion Elementary
Some of the schools that submitted grants already have a theme in mind while others don't. Downtown Charleston Progressive Academy's application included the potential theme of leadership, while James Simons Elementary has thought about offering a comprehensive technology, math and science school in a single-gender setting.
Schools will spend the next six months holding meetings and talking to community members to shape the schools' formal proposals, which are due in October. Most of the schools plan to spend grant money on communication, consultants, conferences and site visits to successful schools they could emulate.
Mitchell Elementary School Principal Dirk Bedford said he planned to put 65 percent of his peninsula school's grant money toward getting community members involved in this process. He already approached a woman waiting on a nearby corner to send her child to Harbor View Elementary School on James Island. He asked her what Mitchell needed to do to reach out to her, and the woman said she was torn because she wanted her child to go to Mitchell, her neighborhood school, but the school's test scores weren't what they need to be.
"I think the interest is there," he said. "This is a great opportunity to reach out to the community."
The 11 schools will meet and discuss their ideas so no two schools in the same area offer the same program, and each school will have a district staff member assigned to them to provide support.
Reach Diette Courrégé at dcourrege@postandcourier.com or 937-5546.
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BillytheKid (anonymous) says...
I think our new super is just that, super. New and good ideas to "grow the system".
Our children are our future, invest in them.
April 18, 2008 at 1:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
belovedbliff (anonymous) says...
Why don't they just say it? 75 Calhoun is looking for a certain clientele for its student population!
April 18, 2008 at 5:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
Man "THOMAS" your negative. But I am sorry to say I have to agree. This is a issue that changing the name of the school can't fix. I hope we are wrong. No parents equal unruley kids. Single parent homes just don't work. When a sector of our community spits out kids for the sake of spitting out kids... Well you see what you get. Lowering the standards and discipline in schools equal dumb kids that can't compete or worst don't finish. Education is the best thing you can give your child. Parents need to wake up.
April 18, 2008 at 6:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mac0cm4 (anonymous) says...
I am glad my tax dollars don't go to Charleston County to flush down the crapper like that. What's it going to cost to truck these kids across the county to go to a school that has the 'focus' they desire?
April 18, 2008 at 6:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
karmann (anonymous) says...
When we start holding parents accountable for the actions of their students, then we will see change take place. As long as kids are excused for bad behavior and as long as parents are coddled for not holding their own kids accountable, then nothing will change.
April 18, 2008 at 6:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DanniD (anonymous) says...
mac0m4- I am sure the parents of the children would be responsible for their childs transportation if they choose to go to a school out of their immediate area. I know that if you have a child that attends one of the magnet schools that they already have in place, the parent has to provide the transportation if they live out of the immediate area.
Of course we must hold the parents responsible for their children's academic success, but we can not fault the schools for at least trying to provide better programs for the children. At least someone cares about these kids. We all know parents need to improve, but that is something that most likely will never happen. Some parents are just never going to change.
April 18, 2008 at 6:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
commonsence (anonymous) says...
DanniD...that's not correct. CCSD does provide transportation to the magnet schools for students outside the zone. The cost is a valid point...as well as the increase of traffic as hundreds more students are being hauled around during rush hour.
April 18, 2008 at 7:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
capnphil (anonymous) says...
I agree with Karmann. But, it just takes a teacher who demands high expectations and has the will to fight administration, (which is darn hard on a day to day basis), who typically support the parents who typically believe they (the parent) "don't want no chile of mine to be brought up beyond his raisons", consequently, the child gets mixed messages, can behave bad at home, can NOT do my homework, can NOT read at home, but can watch video/tv/pc games. Of course the opposite in school. I have taught at an inner-city school for years, demand high expectations, piss off parents who have never seen their child score low grades before, get called in the principal's office for unfounded, out of context charges, and guess what? My students score well above most inner-city school students on those standardized tests. Go figure! Parents must believe the teachers and not thier children in general. The children are children, THEY DON'T KNOW yet what is right and wrong. Believe the teacher, they are right 99% of the time. BUT have high expecatations teachers!
April 18, 2008 at 7:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
crankyyankee (anonymous) says...
If they want to pursue a theme how about reading, writing and rithmetic. Idiots!
April 18, 2008 at 7:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CHRISJIII (anonymous) says...
I hope that this approach works. Anything is better than just sitting around complaining about how bad the schools are. It's always better to be proactive than negative.
April 18, 2008 at 8:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
I agree, crankyyankee. I also think that if they had a high school geared towards the trades, offering up the three R's directly related to the hands-on training, then more students would graduate and more would be better prepared to work.
April 18, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
crankyyankee (anonymous) says...
CB & Theronce, great minds think alike!
April 18, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
halfsheli (anonymous) says...
It is a promising plan. The real need for this, however, is at the high school level. Hopefully this will expand to meet those students' needs, too!
April 18, 2008 at 9:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
halfsheli (anonymous) says...
Schools are TOO focused on English and math. So many schools have cut out elective courses because they have to focus on improving test scores. Now kids aren't offered a variety of options -- chorus, band, foreign languages, art, etc. -- that are equally important. No wonder kids hate school more than ever. Who wants English and math all day with no reprieve? I would challenge any adult to sit in reading, writing, and math classes for 7 hours and NOT zone out.
April 18, 2008 at 9:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
crankyyankee (anonymous) says...
Your absolutely right halfsheli, school is an imposition and should be done away with all together so the kids can focus on more important things in life like American Idol, I pods and choking games! Give me a break!
April 18, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mlm (anonymous) says...
Aren't these people running CCSD the same ones that have tried to block a downtown parent driven charter school for math and science?
So you should understand how this statement leaves me cold: ".... and each school will have a district staff member assigned to them to provide support."
Sounds more like a minder to me, just like the ones who are assigned to keep tour groups and journalists in line when they're visiting an authoritarian country. Are these "assigned support providers" really there to make sure these NPT groups don't choose to go down the path of a "charter school"? As long as CCSD is directly involved in the (mis)management of these schools, there is little hope that they will be allowed to be truly innovative and attractive as successful neighorhood schools.
Until CCSD gets behind its successful charter school initiatives without the administrative undercutting and the incendiary comments from county board members...I will hold only the slightest hope for this latest experiment coming from the desk of the Superintendent.
April 18, 2008 at 9:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DanniD (anonymous) says...
If I am wrong about the transportation, I stand corrected. All of the children I know that attend magnets schools have to be driven to school by their parents.
The answer is to have parents be more involved in their childs lives and ensure they are successful in school. However, we all know that this is not always the case. The fact that they are trying to improve the process is what is important. I would rather them at least try instead of doing nothing. Some of the kids have parents who have already given up on them, that doesn't mean the schools should to. We can control the schools, not the parents.
April 18, 2008 at 10:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nochasgirl (anonymous) says...
My understanding of magnet school transportation is that Charleston County provides transportation from certain points within an area. For example, Acaemic Magnet has several meeting places within Mt Pleasant to pick up students for transportation to the school. This may have changed? I believe Charleston County is one of two districts in the state that provide transportation for magnet schools. With shortfalls in the future, I would think this would have to be an area that needs to be cut. The cost for this transportation is outrageous.
April 18, 2008 at 10:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
Actually, we can improve education and reduce costs by demolishing our present young adult baby sitting service and construct a renewed focus on educating them to survive in the world. Has anyone looked at the percentage of acreage and square footage dedicated to sports, band, art, chorus, dancing, etc.? These young people are old enough to understand that their current job is to learn. It may not be fun, but so what. I'd like to see an educator or district stand up, look them in the eye, and tell them this is their last free chance (to them) to get ahead. The system that is in place now builds in failure with all of the distractions to placate the little darlings.
April 18, 2008 at 10:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ln1959 (anonymous) says...
Yes, Math, Science and English are the CORE subjects that should have the precedence over all other subjects, but I could not take a math class for 7 hours, even though that was my best subject in school.
The high school that I graduated from had a specialty as a Diesel engine school. I went from Lawn Mower small engine to repairing a car engine, to oil change and flushing. This really help me to enjoy school and wonted to get an education. No, its not what I do in life today. Heck I hated Science, but have a degree in Computer Science, which have noting to do with Science.
Those elective classes help to keep school interesting. The kids these days knows it all about the scores, and feel its only helping the school.
We always ask our children whats their goals and what would they like to be when they leave high school or go to college to be, so why not have some kind of training in high school that can get them on the right track and teach them Math, Science and English at the same time. It worked for me. Which if I hadn't decide to have the Navy pay for my college education, I had the experience to be a mechanic right out of high school.
April 18, 2008 at 11:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
halfsheli (anonymous) says...
Wow! The single-mindedness here is astounding. Way to twist my post to seem to advocate for removing core content areas. I never suggested that. My concern is for the lack of a well-rounded education being offered. If we included more "fun" stuff, students would be more moticated. They would also be able to tap into the imaginations and creativity which are AS VITAL AS LITERACY. Otherwise we would have a world full of accountants, doctors, and lawyers!!! (That's a joke!)
By the way. I'm not just a fan of the arts in schools. I think we should offer kids to learn profitable skills, too(because obviously there is NO money to ever be made in art or photography -- and money IS the judge of success and the basis for happiness. How about auto mechanics, welding, construction, plumbing, hospitality and tourism...
I think that some of you -- who more than likely have no experience beyond your own educations and maybe that of your children -- should step down from your pedastools
and outside of your boxes.
April 18, 2008 at 11:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
halfsheli (anonymous) says...
I can spell. I just can't type very well, smarty pants.
I do not think that anything should be sacrificed. That's my point. Classes other than core subjects are being sacrificed. It is wonderful to see the connections that are made by students who learn about Renaissance art and apply those characteristics to Renaissance literature. It's a beautiful thing when a student in photography realizes that math and science factor greatly into that artform. By taking away certain curricula, we take that away.
Back to the actual article. I think it's great that each of these schools will focus on certain aspects of education that every school simply can not focus on hardly at all.
And if y'all are worried about the cost of transportation. You should refer to the article a few weeks ago about the parents parking in front of the school and getting tickets. They parked because the traffic was overwhelming. You would be amazed at how many parents bring their children to school anyway. Maybe if their kids were going to "far away" schools, they would actually utilize the school buses, making them a bit more efficient. OR they can just drive their little poopsies a bit farther!
April 18, 2008 at 12:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
musicpaladin2007 (anonymous) says...
I think what you guys are failing to get is that these electives are AS IMPORTANT AS not MORE IMPORTANT THAN.
It has been proven that those involved in music and arts have higher test scores, and beyond that are just generally more culturally aware. How much of the arts includes these other core curriculum elements? Lots. How much of our society has been shaped and how much is there to learn from the arts? Lots.
If we ignore these arts we are raising ignorant, culturally unaware children. There is more to life than just adding and reading. Not at all bashing or minimizing their importance...but...just because you take an art or music or theater class doesn't mean you have grandiose dreams of being a rock star. And just because you offer electives doesn't mean you're going to have children that can't add or read but can as you say "only sing Oklahoma". Please. Can we dispense with this kind of ignorance?
I am a graduate of a particular arts magnet school in Charleston County and, surprise surprise, wow, I can add and read. Who would have thought? Shocker.
April 18, 2008 at 12:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
musicpaladin2007 (anonymous) says...
By the way, I also rode the bus at said magnet school for 7 years. So yes magnets DO have busses and parents do NOT have to drive their kids to school.
April 18, 2008 at 12:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
halfsheli (anonymous) says...
On your last point, we agree. Parental involvement is a joke. The school system is set up for failure in that regard. I do feel better with this CCSD administration (I can't believe a actually just typed those words). At least McGinley is trying to create imaginative solutions and not just bog people down with an abstract 12-point plan that defies the laws of reality.
April 18, 2008 at 1:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mlm (anonymous) says...
Too bad we all have to pay for this special transportation to those fortunate enough to win a "ticket" to go to a magnet school. But when we want our kid to attend some better performing school somewhere else in the county we're told by CCSD that they can't afford to provide "extra" transportation.
If CCSD wants to save money this year they can start by eliminating this perk for parents who "won" the rigged Buist lottery. In fact, you could save millions of our tax dollars by just putting the word "neighborhood" back into our schools. The Post and Courier didn't really make enough of a point in this article is that the whole idea of creating "partial magnets" (whatever "partial" means) is to draw neighborhood kids back to the schools in their neighborhood.
At least two-thirds of the school kids downtown attend a school out of their district. Who do you think is paying for this? And we thought we in Charleston County beat the Federal Court bussing decisions years ago. Little did we know then that CCSD would eventually be doing a better (worse) job of bussing our school kids all over the county...and we did this voluntarily in order to RESTORE segregation!?!! And now we're paying for it through the nose.
Let the Buist, AMHS and all the other magnet school parents pay for their own transportation to these privileged schools, especially if its further than the schools their kids are actually zoned for. The rest of our kids aren't getting the same consideration when they want to transfer out of a failing school.
Better still, buy a CARTA pass.
April 18, 2008 at 1:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
halfsheli (anonymous) says...
How exactly are these schools "privileged"? I'm not sure I understand the reasoning behind that. Is it because they have limited space? Could this be remedied by expanding those schools? This may be difficult due to their campuses. Have you ever seen AMHS' campus? Nothing privileged about that.
Oh, and please don't attack. I'm not being a butthead (this time). I'm just curious.
April 18, 2008 at 1:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mlm (anonymous) says...
Most of these magnet schools are privileged because despite repeated requests to expand them or replicate them to make them available to more people, CCSD chooses to ignore the parents who want access to them (or schools like them) for their kids. Why does Buist serve so many East Cooper residents when dozens of highly qualified applicants that live within a few blocks of Buist are told there is no room for them? (...and when vacancies are known to exist?) Why did the County School Board choose to fund four foreign language teachers for Buist, yet deny a similar K-8 school located downtown for years from having any foreign language program. That also was at a time when the regular downtown high school had no full time foreign language teachers. To call these schools "privileged" in the midst of so much inequity is a fairly mild assessment. Obscene is more like it. And that would apply as well to the county school administrators that think this is OK.
April 18, 2008 at 2:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mlm (anonymous) says...
If the quality of a school building is how you measure "privilege" then Burke is high on that scale and AMHS is at the bottom. But a building alone is not what determines success or privilege. Yes, I've seen the magnet schools. I've also seen the vacancies that have been allowed to go unfilled and the games the adminstration has played to keep them beyond the reach of all but a chosen few. That's the definition of both privilege and institutional corruption as it exists within CCSD. Dr. McGinley has her work cut out for her if there is to be any meaningful change.
April 18, 2008 at 2:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ParkCircle4Ever (anonymous) says...
The Partial Magnet concept is one that may or may not work, but it is that, a concept at this point. There are a lot of posters who seem to know so much about how crappy our schools are, how crappy the administration is and how horrible the parents are... what else can we do but try something new to make markable change?
Oh, and electives are lots of things other than the Arts, from automotive repair to business law, those are all electives. Anyone concerned about 'trade' schools should support a varied offering of electives at the Middle and High school level, CREOC (our 'old-school' trade school) is not coming back and Garrett is never going to be the answer for everyone. It is the onus of individual schools to offer a variety of electives, including those related to the workforce. Taking that away will only make the basics harder to teach. We don't have to agree that they are more, less or of the same importance as the basics, but we can agree that they are important can't we?
For that matter, if you care so much and have no trust in CCSD, go volunteer at a low-performing school and see how you can help. North Charleston Elementary needs PACT test volunteer proctors, Mary Ford needs Lunch Buddies, Burns Elementary needs food donations, I could go on... or you can continue to complain about how nothing works and spending money on new programs is a waste.
I am certain there are parents who don't care, but there are also parents who care a lot but work two jobs or have younger children to look after, or elder family members to care for, or don't have transportation, or deal with drug addiction etc etc. Stop judging and concentrate on making a difference by getting involved yourself. Why not keep an eye on those precious tax dollars?
April 18, 2008 at 2:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCgal (anonymous) says...
Too bad CCSD will not go and study the numerous successful school districts across the US, find out what makes them successful, and bring all of those standards here and apply them to CCSD,it's school, and educators~
Find out what works, bring it here, and fix it, fix it quickly~
April 19, 2008 at 7:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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