October 1998
October 1998
Proponents of charter and pilot schools held the floor at the September 17 Forum for the 21st Century, "A Look at Charter and Pilot Schools: What are We Learning?" There was a high level of consensus that charter and pilot schools are pathfinding new ways to deliver quality education to public school students in Boston. They are successfully forging new communities of learning, aided by small size, the freedom to hire staff who are motivated and entrepreneurial, and the flexibility to use their time and budget as they see fit in pursuit of the school's mission.However, questions and cautions were raised. How, for example, do good ideas from charter and pilot schools get transmitted into the public schools? According to Sarah Kass, co-founder and president of the City on a Hill Charter School, it is unleashing the energy and entrepreneurship of teachers "that can establish systemic change."
Bak Fun Wong, deputy superintendent for clusters and school leaders, Boston Public Schools, agreed, and said that certain elements of school success are well recognized: let teachers be the best they can be, and focus on the needs of children.
"We must encourage and stimulate each other... there are many initiatives going on in the Boston Public Schools&emdash;grants, after school and home collaboration programs, and many rules and regulations we want to throw out. I don't know if we need more charter and pilot schools, if we are all doing this work," he said.
Besides Kass and Wong, the first forum of the 1998-99 academic year featured panelists Scott Hartle, director, the Harbor School, Kevin Andrews, headmaster, Neighborhood House Charter School, Stacey Boyd, founding director, Academy of the Pacific Rim, with moderator Daniel Cheever, president of Simmons College, and commentators Daniel French, Executive Director, Center for Collaborative Education, and Scott Hamilton, Associate Commissioner for Charter Schools, Massachusetts Department of Education.
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