The Cult of KIPP Encounters Another Heretic
KIPP the Kids In Prison Program |
KIPP - the Knowledge Is Power Program - is America's preeminent charter school juggernaut. With 125 schools in 20 states and Washington, D.C., KIPP is the darling of reformy, pro-charter pundits.
It also has a bit of a reputation for being like a cult [all emphases mine]:
It also has a bit of a reputation for being like a cult [all emphases mine]:
Indeed, Mathews likens KIPP to a cult "without the dues or the weird robes." But by definition, a cult is a fringe movement. To date, no one—including such mighty players as the Gates Foundation—has figured out how to take an educational cult and make it the predominant religion within any urban system.And:
I was a teacher at a KIPP school for 1 /1/2 years. (Not in NYC) It was the most horrible experience of my life. The teachers and students are literally in school for 11 hours a day.
