"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Tennessee Farms Out Poorest Students to Corporate Chain Gang Charterrs

Yes Prep is another KIPP knock-off for middle and high schoolers with the same total compliance organizational scheme and the same demeaning lockdown discipline policies designed for the urban poor.   Ten hour days with white missionary TFAers learning to teach on poor people's children, constant surveillance, and poor facilities that are lacking in libraries, art rooms, gyms, etc.  The remaining urban public schools outside of Mr. Barbic' control will function as dumping grounds or schools of last resort for those who are pushed out or become Nos of the Yes Preps.  From HuffPo:
By accepting a job as superintendent of a new Tennessee school district, Chris Barbic has positioned himself as the face of an up-and-coming governance model for reforming failing schools.

The state of Tennessee tapped Barbic, a successful charter school organizer, to run a new special “Achievement School District” that encompasses five of the state’s worst-performing schools, officials announced this week. The arrangement puts the state in control of these schools and allows the state to contract the schools out to charter school networks or form partnerships with non-profit organizations.

“The daunting part of it is what’s exciting,” Barbic said in a phone interview with The Huffington Post.
The Yes Prep Contracts:
Teachers’ Commitments:
We fully commit to YES Prep Public Schools in the following ways:
• We will arrive at YES Prep by 7:15 am Monday through Friday.
• We will remain at YES Prep until 5:15 pm Monday through Friday.
• We will arrive at YES Prep on appropriate Saturdays at 9:15 am and remain until 1:15 pm.
• We will attend and participate in all staff meetings and professional development.
• We will teach YES Prep students in the best way we know how and we will do Whatever It Takes for our students to learn including furnishing students with our cell phone numbers for questions about homework.
• We will always make ourselves available to work with students and parents, and we will address any concern(s) they might have.
• We will respond to communication from students, parents, and fellow staff members within 24 hours.
• We will always protect the safety, interests, and rights of all individuals in the classroom.
• We will strive to become better educators; it is our responsibility to seek professional development opportunities.

Parents’/Guardians’ Commitments:
We fully commit to YES Prep in the following ways:
• We will make sure our child arrives at YES Prep by 7:30 am Monday through Friday.
• We will make arrangements so our child can remain at YES Prep until the end of the school day.
• We will make arrangements for our child to come to YES Prep on appropriate Saturdays at 9:30 am and remain until 1:00 pm.
• We will always help our child in the best way we know how, and we will do Whatever It Takes for him/her to learn.
This also means that we will check our child’s homework every night, sign our child’s agenda and let him/her contact the teacher if there is a problem with the homework.
• We will allow our child to remain after school for Wall Street on any day he/she arrives with homework that is not neat, complete, and accurate or not turned in on time. They may also be required to remain after school if they choose to disrespect the YES Prep team. If this occurs, it will be our responsibility to pick up our child.
• We will always make ourselves available to our children and the school and we will address any concern(s) they might have.
• We will notify the school as soon as possible if our child is going to be absent from school.
• We will read all papers sent home carefully, sign them, and return them within two (2) days. If we fail to return papers on time, we understand that our child will have to stay for Wall Street or detention.
• We will attend all parent meetings and conferences.
• We will allow our child to go on YES Prep field trips, including out-of-town field trips.
• We will make sure our child adheres to the YES Prep dress code.
• We will ensure that our child will attend the mandatory summer program.
• We understand that our child must follow all YES Prep rules in order to protect the safety, interests, and rights of all individuals in the classroom.
• We, not the school, are responsible for the behavior and actions of our child.

Student’s Commitments:
I fully commit to YES Prep in the following ways:
• I will arrive at YES Prep everyday by 7:30 am Monday through Friday.
• I will remain at YES Prep until the .
• I will come to YES Prep on appropriate Saturdays at 9:30 am and remain until 1:00 pm.
• I will always work, think, and behave in the best way I know how, and I will do WHATEVER IT TAKES for my fellow students and me to learn. I will complete all my homework every night and I will call my teachers if I have a problem with the homework. I will raise my hand and ask questions in class if I do not understand something.
• I will contact the school if I have a problem with coming to school.
• I will remain after school for Wall Street (middle school students) on any day that my homework is not neat, complete, and accurate or if I turn my homework in late. I will also stay after school as required if I choose to disrespect the YES Prep team.
• I will always make myself available to parents and teachers and will discuss any concern(s) they might have about school.
• I will always behave in order to protect the safety, interest, and rights of all individuals in the classroom. This also means that I will always listen to my YES Prep teammates and respect everyone in the YES family.
• I will adhere to the YES Prep dress code.
• I will attend the mandatory summer program (for students entering grades 6, 7, 8 and 9).
• I am responsible for my own behavior.
YES Prep Public Schools
Whatever it Takes Contract

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