Baltimore joins Gates Foundation effort to foster district-charter collaboration
Baltimore is among nine districts around the country that has signed on to the latest project by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , which is geared toward fostering collaboration between public and charter schools to explore the best of what each model has to offer to students districtwide.
The project, formerly called the "District-charter collaborative compact," was announced this morning during a conference call with education reporters.
Vicki Phillps, director of education for the Gates Foundation, said that the initiative could diffuse a longstanding tension between privately run charters and traditional public schools. “Too often these stale debates make it difficult for teachers and schools to learn from each other,” Phillips said.
Baltimore will join other districts like New York, Denver and New Orleans in receiving a $100,000 education grant for signing onto a pact--literally a written contract among charter and school system leaders--that will stipulate information and data sharing about what is working in the best charter and public schools, in hopes of drawing the best practices from both and applying them across the district.
Among the most important discussions to take place between district and charter leaders will be that of equitable funding and facilities. Other conversations will center around everything from teacher effectiveness to better supporting students with special needs. Each district has a pact tailored to their needs.
The nine districts that are participating represent 2.1 million students, roughly 83,000 of which are in Baltimore. The city also has 30 charter schools, all of which have signed on to the compact, through the endorsement of the Coalition for Baltimore Charter Schools. Not all charter schools have signed on in other districts, officials said, for various reasons, including maintaining thier competitive edge.
City schools CEO Andres Alonso was on the call, saying that the pact is something that Baltimore would benefit greatly from, particularly as the district has moved toward letting the majority of its students choose what schools they want to attend. And, the majority of the city's charter schools sprouted during Alonso's three-year-tenure, and more are coming to the district next year.
“We have to change the way we do business to ensure the success of all schools,” Alonso said.
“It’s been huge for us to see this, not as something on paper, but as an evolving conversation about how we need to change.”
We'll be reviewing the city's compact, report back with more details.
Baltimoresun.com's 
Comments
FYI: Charter schools have begun accepting applications for the 2011-12 school year.
Posted by: Eve | December 8, 2010 8:42 AM
Wait a minute, isn't one of the stated purposes of charter schools to allow for innovation and experimentation in public education? Now they have to be paid to exchange their best practices? If these are "public" institutions they should be REQUIRED to give reports on what they are doing to achieve success. Paying for this service just adds fuel to the separate and unequal train of thought.
Post it for all to see!!!
Posted by: OverTheTop | December 8, 2010 10:06 AM
What a great idea, and it comes with money to help initiate the dialog. There have been more then a few times when I've thought "Why don't all schools operate like this?" when it's come to our experience in charter schools. I wonder if some traditional schools realize they don't have to say "That's not the way we do things around here." when a parent or teacher suggests an improvement. I'd love to see some good ideas proliferate.
I think it's a sign of how Baltimore's charters are not typical when they have 100% of the schools sign on for collaboration. I wonder what the participation rate will be on the other side of the equation.
Posted by: a parent | December 8, 2010 12:43 PM
@OTT -
In your rush to hate anything that has the term charter in it, you might consider reading the post before commenting. The $100K is money paid to school district that is used to foster collaboration, NOT money to the charter. Charter schools ARE required to write reports and reapply for charter extensions. The information is there, but there is no dialog or collaboration. I am guessing the money will be used to fund meetings and maybe set up a database with "lessons learned" and the like.
If you are representative of people involved from traditional schools that are supposed to listen and see what they can modify to implement in their schools I'm guessing that nothing will come of the interchange. But, I'm optimistic that’s not the case and that most traditional school personnel are more open-minded. Hopefully they want to make their schools better.
Posted by: a parent | December 8, 2010 1:12 PM
Agreed that this sounds like a great idea, and I'm happy that Baltimore's signed on. Sharing good ideas and collaboration are great for all.
Perhaps part of what OverTheTop was reacting to, which struck me in the same way, was the quote “Not all charter schools have signed on in other districts, officials said, for various reasons, including maintaining their competitive edge.” To me, the greatest value of charters is (in OTT’s words) “innovation and experimentation in public education”, and there should be no talk of “competitive edge” in public charter schools. I am proud that all of Baltimore’s charters have indeed signed on and agreed to share information and practices.
Posted by: Nick | December 9, 2010 6:53 AM
@ AP - I will use your tactic and read between the lines. You assume this will be a one-way exchange which notably is not reality. The charter school my granddaughter attends has issues with its few special needs students. They asked for and received assistance from one of the public special needs schools. No charge.
My real question is why must anyone PAY for something that should come as a natural consequence of raising all boats? If charters and non-charters are part of the same system then what now prohibits them from talking. Money should not have been an issue. If it is then there is a bigger issue.
I work for an enterprise that has dozens of satellite locations. Once a month we are required to get together to do lessons learned. It’s part of the job. What I am beginning to wonder is if the private sectors intrusion into public education coupled with the continuing underfunding by government agencies requires this type of shadowy relationship. Is it another kick-back (re: RTTT) for towing the company line?
Posted by: OverTheTop | December 9, 2010 10:33 AM
@Nick -
Sorry if I mis-interpreted.
If the hostility is towards charters in other locations I wouldn't try to defend them. Honestly I think that City Schools and their situation (charter or otherwise) is so different from the rest of the state that I never try to figure out what's going on in other jurisdictions. I just don't have the energy to understand what they're dealing with. I've seen very little concern or understanding going the other direction.
Posted by: a parent | December 9, 2010 1:31 PM