Sunday, March 21, 2010

Schools Matter: DC Charter Report Takes Shots at KIPP, Imagine?

Schools Matter: DC Charter Report Takes Shots at KIPP, Imagine?


DC Charter Report Takes Shots at KIPP, Imagine?

From the 2009 School Performance Reports (published March 2010):
...KIPP AIM's vision and philosophy is compromised when the ideas of “Work hard, be Nice” are not modeled by the adults in the building.
Hmmm...was someone not working hard, or not being nice? Maybe it was the strict learning environment and penal pedagogy...

According to the report, Imagine Southeast PCS boasts a 30% truancy rate. There's also a bit about assessment that makes me wonder if this is just a test-prep factory. Keep in mind this is a PK-3rd grade school - and they're using Scantrons. I guess DC kids need lots of practice in filling in the bubbles for later success in Rhee's testing dungeons. You'll notice the mention of not using ILPs appropriately and the failure to use formative assessments (which can be useful for teachers when used appropriately, but