In an educational climate (here in North Carolina and elsewhere) that seems to be changing as quickly as the Earth’s temperature, it might be time to suggest helping traditional schools gain some more resources and support from the North Carolina General Assembly. In the past four years, North Carolina has successfully taken a public education system that was once the most progressive and envied in the southeastern US to one that seems to cater to privatization movements, vouchers, and charter schools.

So I suggest that we as public school advocates go ahead and apply to the Office of Charter Schools under an umbrella application to establish a new kind of charter school. Actually, it would be a return to an older model, but it would certainly be chartering new territory for those in Raleigh hell-bent on dismantling traditional public schools.

It would be called “The Traditional Public Charter School.”

One can create an online application at a special site set up by DPI – http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/charterschools/applications/ .  All one needs is a login name and a password, but that’s just semantics.

Opening up the Resource Manual (http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/charterschools/applications/resourcemanual.pdf ) , one can see that there are 53 pages of intricate details to consider, but again since all traditional schools have so many things already in place, it would seem that all one needs to do is focus on certain segments to really set an application apart from others.

The following are the main sections for the application.

1. Applicant Contact Information – This includes grade levels served and total school enrollment.
2. Mission, Purposes, and Goals – This includes the educational needs, targeted student population, purposes, and five-year goals.

• Education Plan – This includes the instructional programs, what will be done for special populations, “at-risk” students, and other items such as standards, graduation policies, conduct, etc.

1. Governance and Capacity – Here is where the tax-exempt status will be along with the governance and organizational structure. It also includes the marketing plan of the school as well as admissions policies.
2. Operations – This includes the transportation plan, lunch plan, insurance, and liabilities. Also the facilities will be explained here.
3. Financial Plan – This is where revenues are explained. Simply put, where does the money come from and where is it spent.

Section I – Applicant Contact Information.

Since this application is for all schools already defined as traditional schools, the grade levels taught would be the same grade levels already served by each school. School enrollment would not be set by the number of seats in the school or an arbitrary count. Enrollment would be set by how many students are serviced by the particular area that the traditional school already had in place. The new “Traditional Public Charter Schools” would not limit enrollment as populations change.

Fairly straightforward, is it not?

Section II – Mission, Purposes, and Goals.

Again the information in this section would reflect the mission, purposes, and goals of the traditional public schools before they reach “charter status.”

• Simply put the mission of each of the new “Traditional Public Charter Schools” would be to service all students who walk in the doors and help them to achieve academically as well as help mold them into free-thinking, successful citizens.
• Targeted populations would not need to be identified. The only criteria for students would be that they reside in the district that the school has jurisdiction of.
• There would also be no need for five-year goals as yearly goals have already been set in place with School Improvement Plans, state mandates, and SACS review criteria.

Once again, there is no need to reinvent the wheel – just simply a need to smooth out the road. Charter schools have smoother roads to travel.

Section III – Education Plan

• Instructional Programs – same, except now they could be realized now that these “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will be fully funded unlike when these schools were simply “Traditional Public Schools.”
• Special Populations Programs – same, except now they could be realized now that these “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will be fully funded unlike when these schools were simply “Traditional Public Schools.”
• At Risk Student Programs – same, except now they could be realized now that these “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will be fully funded unlike when these schools were simply “Traditional Public Schools.”
• Standards – same, except now they could be really become realized now that these “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will be fully funded unlike when these schools were simply “Traditional Public Schools.”
• Graduation Requirements – same, except now they could be realized now that these “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will be fully funded unlike when these schools were simply “Traditional Public Schools.” Furthermore, now that these new charter schools will no longer be the old traditional schools, they can use different tests and measurement criteria to ensure success as charter schools now do.
• Conduct Expectations – same, except now they could be realized now that these “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will be fully funded unlike when these schools were simply “Traditional Public Schools” and actions by the administration of the “Traditional Public Charter Schools” would be supported by the state.

It is rather amazing what can happen when a school reaches “charter” status.

Section IV – Governance and Capacity

• Since “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will not be like other charter schools and be controlled by non-public school entities, there really is no new information to present here. In actuality, the governance will remain with the communities that send their students to the schools and the other stakeholders who support the schools.
  Ironically, communities elect people to be on the local school board already. People even elect officials on state levels. Why the need for another governing body if a legally elected school board is already in place? And if they do not do their job, simply do not elect them again.
• There will be no marketing There is no need to specifically target students who already have the right to come to the school.

Which means… it will be like it already is without all of the bureaucracy. These new “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will actually be public by definition and be run publicly, unlike other charter schools once they get their financing.

Section V – Operations

• Transportation – Already taken care of. The “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will use the same buses and routes as the “Traditional Public Schools.”
• Lunch Plan – Already taken care of. The “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will use the same lunch plans as the “Traditional Public Schools.” The cafeterias are already in place. Have been. Ever since the original “Traditional Public Schools” were built.
• Insurance and Liabilities – Already taken care of. The “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will use the same insurance and assume the same liabilities the “Traditional Public Schools.” In fact, this may be one of the easier “changes” to make since the “Traditional Public Schools” have already been assuming those responsibilities for years. Even decades.
• Facilities – Believe it or not the “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will use the same buildings and facilities as the “Traditional Public Schools.” The new schools can even keep the mascots and uniforms of the previous “Traditional Public School” sport teams.

Actually, this change would almost be seamless.

Section VI – Financial Plan.

The “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will actually be fully funded by the state, local, and federal governments, but particularly where the state comes in. While the “Traditional Public Charter Schools” were “Traditional Public Schools”, the state lowered the amount of resources and per pupil expenditures, but because of the new charter status more money would be given to the new “Traditional Public Charter Schools” to ensure success.

Maybe, this would be so unique that the “Traditional Public Charter Schools” could also accept Opportunity Grants?

There is much more to consider when making the actual application; just look at all of the appendices that must be completed. However, since these “Traditional Public Charter Schools” will present themselves as public schools and then run as public schools, the transparency will be tremendous. Removing the “private” elements that other charter schools usually have (not all, but most) will go a long way in showing the powers that be that these “Traditional Public Charter Schools” are surely worth the commitment.