Thursday, December 5, 2013

Naughty List?: Thoughts on Texas Legislature, KIPP, Carstarphen, and College | Cloaking Inequity

Naughty List?: Thoughts on Texas Legislature, KIPP, Carstarphen, and College | Cloaking Inequity:

Naughty List?: Thoughts on Texas Legislature, KIPP, Carstarphen, and College

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Kate McGee reported this morning on KUT NPR in the radio piece Austin Charter Focuses on College Prep Despite New Grad Requirements that KIPP Austin has set up a pretty sweet deal with St. Edwards University. Listen to the KUT story here.
St. Edward’s University is partnering with KIPP Austin Charter school to help more of its students go to college and get a degree. The charter school KIPP Austin is announcing a partnership Thursday with St. Edward’s University, in an effort to promote the charter school’s mission to prepare students for college and help them receive a degree. The private university in South Austin will join more than 40 other colleges and universities nationwide that partner with the nonprofit charter school – including UT Austin and the University of Pennsylvania…
Through the new partnership, St. Edward’s says it will accept up to 10 qualified KIPP applicants each year, waive application fees for KIPP students and provide scholarships for at least three KIPP alumni annually.  KIPP also appoints one of its alums enrolled at St. Edward’s to act as a student ambassador to help new students learn the ropes. Many KIPP graduates are the first in their families to attend college.
The backdrop of the conversation is that KIPP and wealthy school districts are gearing up to continue focusing on distinguished diplomas that position their students for college. Kudos to KIPP for:
“There are some kids that  say ‘I don’t want to go to college,’” says Paloma Medellin, an eighth grader at