I am beginning to explore the possibility of opening a public charter school in New Rochelle. I’m currently a NYC school leader and former charter school director (also of a school in NYC) who resides in New Rochelle. The idea of a charter school in New Rochelle intrigues me, especially in light of the changing demographics of New Rochelle and the apparent unrest amongst our community with the direction of the New Rochelle School District. A well run charter school could bring innovation to education in this city, as well as provide competition to the established schools, thus improving the overall quality or our schools.
In the long run, lower property taxes could result as well if charter schools prove to operate more efficiently. From what I read in these blogs, some of the positions/expenses that this city is incurring are outrageous. Is it true that we employ a full time locksmith AND a carpenter (obviously, these are functions that can be outsourced rather easily)? If this is true, is waste also occurring within the schools themselves and the administrative offices?
For those who may not be familiar with charter schools (and this is a very BRIEF explanation), charter schools are PUBLIC schools that operate independently from the local Board of Education. They are funded by the same tax dollars that go to the New Rochelle BOE. They are authorized under New York State Law and are accountable as such to the State and, if applicable, their local authorizer. There are several different management models, but typically, there is a Head of School (or Principal) and then another person who manages the operations aspect of the school (in some schools, one person could be both). Though the Head of School would be the ultimate decision maker, there is a Board of Directors who would be responsible for overseeing the progress of the school as well as vote on major budget issues etc., much like a company would operate. The Board of Directors would be chosen from local citizens who demonstrate commitment to the school’s mission and the ability to govern effectively. There is much more to it, but in a nut shell, that is it.
Again, I am only in the preliminary stages of researching the feasibility of a charter school in New Rochelle. The first step is to gauge the public’s desire for a charter school. Without public support, it will not happen. If you have any interest in this matter, please email me at NewRochelleCharterSchool@gmail.com with any insight you may have or post comments on this blog.
Personal Experience with Charter Schools
My son attended a Charter School in the City. The worst decision I could have ever made. I too, was looking for something different for my child. The Charter School promised so much, but it didn’t deliver. My son’s school was located inside another school. Their resources were limited.No gym, not technology, no real Art or Music program. One third of the teachers were uncertified. They had trouble getting certified teachers because they simply could not pay as much as the regular public schools did. Also, admission into charter schools is not determined by your grades, or by any test. The school had a lottery, and guess who applied? The same exact children who lived in the neighborhood, and that you didn’t want your children to go to school with in the first place. So, if you open a charter school here in New Rochelle, you can’t pick and choose which children will attend. Actually, families with low socioeconomic status will be the first to apply. No one can stop them from applying. You will have a school with the same issues and less resources. Hey, maybe the charter school is a good idea, this way those children will go to the charter school, and regular public schools will become more desirable to taxpayers!
Re: Personal Experience with Charter Schools
Like anything else, if the charter school your son attended had poor leadership, the results of your experience would be obvious. I’d suggest to research schools a bit closer prior to enrolling to see what their structure is. If the school did not have a gym, technology, or other resources, you should have been able to clearly identify that. Charters that are housed within NYCDOE spaces (called shared spaces) have equitable access to all facilities within the building. It is MANDATED that this occur. So if there was a gym, physical education should have occurred.
Most charter schools actually pay their teachers more than the traditional public schools due to the fact that they work longer hours, are NOT part of the pension system which adds considerable cost to a teacher’s salary, and tend to hire younger teachers who are not at “top scale” so salary costs are not as high overall. So again, it does not sound like this school was set up to succeed from what you are saying. As far as certification goes, STATE LAW allows charters to hire no more than 5 UNCERTIFIED teachers (on small staffs, 30% may be uncertified but in no case may it go above 5). I’m not sure how a “third” of the staff was uncertified unless it was a very small school. From what you describe, if they had trouble recruiting teachers its because of a poor reputation–there is no shortage of certified teachers out there. Also, certification means very little when it comes to teacher quality. Many of your prestigious boarding/private schools do not require certification.
I’m not sure what your idea of a charter school is, but it is SUPPOSED to serve children in the neighborhood as an alternative to the local public school. Public schools (which charter schools are) can not discriminate against students based on grades or tests. It sounds like you would best be served by a private school if your goal is to not associate with children from your neighborhood.
There is no doubt that a charter school in our city would serve those from a lower socioeconomic status. I guarantee (at least if I were to run it) that the charter school would perform admirably against the traditional schools with a more affluent population. I don’t know what “issues” you are referring to, and resources would be allocated in the same manner as they are to the established schools. The key is how you manage them which is my point, the charter school will manage resources better and more efficiently.
30 years ago, I was a child of “low socioeconomic status” who entered school only speaking Spanish and I think I have done pretty well only because the schools I attended back then were of a high quality (and yes they were public schools). Why would you want to “stop them from applying”? And then you go on to mention “those children will go to the charter school”? This type of thinking/comment (which implies that only certain children/families have the right to a quality edcuation) is exactly why charter schools are needed.
Charter Schools – a valid consideration
Despite your experience, I think a charter school in New Rochelle would provide an welcome option to those who are disatisfied with the schools now.
Gym, technology, art, etc. were never the issue here in NR. Academics are the real issue with low scores despite high per pupil spending. Charter schools boast higher scores.
Plus a charter school would relieve some of the current overcrowding. There is no room for a charter at an existing NR school, it would have to be housed elsewhere.
Regarding the lotteries to select charter students, anytime there is a lottery, it seems to bring out the best in participants. Look at CILA and Barnard,
Daniel Webster, etc. When a parent has to take the time to apply, attend the meeting, do the research, etc. you will probably get a more involved family.
I don’t follow how the funding would work, but it seems that a charter principal would have the ability to fire an incompetent teacher, which the unions seem to fight, fight against, practically unless the teacher does physical harm to a student.
LSD for everybody
Whether or not a charter school is good is one thing , but lowering our taxes ? Every layer in any government adds to the cost . Look at the track record in NR . Taxes will never go down . If everybody in NR voted the school budget down , there would still be an increase . Holding the ninny’s in charge accountable and axeing them when they don’t deliver will have more effect on the budget then any charter or alternative enterprise one might attempt . Given the lack of interest in NR about how much is paid in taxes , neither idea has much of a chance . That is the saddest part of this trip .
Housing a Charter School
You could contact Holy Family or Blessed Sacrament. Any Catholic school that was closed and work out a licensing agreement
just do it
all of our comments regarding the difficulty, the unwillingness of the city to support are true; but not surprising. same comments were faced a few short years back in other places including nyc.
i contacted a few people who are knowledgable about what the department of education, arne duncan specifically, feel about charter schools. it is part of their business plan. this means that whether the city fathers, school board, etc. are willing to do it will be moot. in fact this blog has been extraordinarily helpful in providing facts that would pave the way.
my advice remains — don’t be deterred. continue your research, line up supporters, check into law and statutes and contact the department of education in obamaville to verify their support.
there will be parent support here to be sure. for example, if you provide an elementary alternative for 6-8 graders in the isaac young hegemony, you might be swamped.
ball is in your court. keep at it and best of luck
warren gross
Re: just do it
Thanks for your help Warren. You offered good advice. I actually have a significant amount of experience with opening schools, as I have helped open a charter and am the founding principal of a traditional public school. That however, will probably be my issue since writing the charter and all of the legwork involved is extremely time consuming. As a current principal, my time is scarce but I would make the time if this gets off the ground. That being said, we could put a team together to get this rolling (I have some people in mind). I’m pretty sure if we started a campaign for this, the public would get behind it rather quickly-then it would be a matter of getting a couple of local politicians to support.
go for it.you are doing our
go for it.you are doing our research. most of the comments I am reviewing have little to do with the feasibility of what you are trying to accomplish.
my suggestions are: (1) present some documented research to the readers re: charter school successes especially in new york city. (2) seek support from city power folk who might be able to help you — for example, leaders in our hispanic and african american communities who want something different for their kids, (3) explain clearly what forms of licensure and oversight are required to operate a school. (4) look into some history from non-profit community who have experience in comparable areas, (5A) contact Bishop De Marzio or Archbishop Doyle indicating your interest in leasing or using space ownded by the diocese of New York that is currently not being utilized, and (7) explain to readers that your faculty will be certified and NOT UNIONIZED BY
FUSE or anyone else.
I am not sure it will work here or if you have the experience and will to see this through, but you seem committed and we need more thinking outside the box. Keep going.
warren gross
Hard to imagine NR officials supporting this
I cannot think of a single elected or appointed official at any level that would SUPPORT a charter school in New Rochelle.
You are right Bob, but I can
You are right Bob, but I can sure think of one substitute teacher that would be first in line for a job.
Re: Hard to imagine NR officials supporting this
I would hope that the politicians who represent the districts with large minority populations would support it. Without their help, this will be very difficult.
Seting up a Charter
What would the steps be to setting up a charter school? Who would pay to renovate a building, hire teachers, purchase equipment? How does NYC fund their charters?
Re: Setting up a Charter
Basically, charters are funded per pupil they serve. I’m not sure what the current figure is, but as of last year it was apx $12000 per student in NYC. So, if we started with 100 students, you would have base funding of 1,200,000. From there, additional funds come into the school for students with SPED services or other sources of funding (Title I for students with Free Lunch, Title III for ELL students, and several other sources). The school would then have a fundraising arm to secure additional funding. Several grants are also available for start up funding.
Steps would include getting support and showing a need for the school, securing a site (even a temporary one), writing the charter, and then obtaining approval from the state.
I believe
st.gabriels over in the west was used or still is being used by the citi.I believe it was for troubled kids.This would make a good sight.Maybe on a smaller scale wildcliff museum.
St. Gabes is leased to BoE…
…for use as an Alternative High School.
Proof state run anything is a failure.
Free public schools is one of Karl Marx’s planks for communism. And you wonder why it’s failing? Now we have a president who wants to have the government run healthcare? If any of you are for charter schools AND you are a Democrat, you must have some splitting headache. Funny how it’s so uncool to be a Republican, but everything screwing up this country comes from Democrats. I guess it’s nice to live in Chappaqua and Hollywood looking down at all you peasants.
NEA
Are you aware the NEA a few days ago passed a resolution that the number of new charter schools should be limited? In New Rochelle where do you think you could place charter schools? Are you thinking of storefront schools or empty houses? Will the sites be able to meet state standards for schools? I would like to know.
Re: NEA
The National Education Association (NEA) is one of the largest professional organizations and largest labor unions in the United States. They represent the interests of public school teachers, NOT CHILDREN and their families. Since most charter schools are not unionized, this clearly poses an issue not only for the NEA but other unions as well (their website is full of anti-charter school statistics). The NEA is basically lobbying when they adopt these “resolutions”. They have no legislative power.
There has always been a cap on the number of charter schools in New York State. The number was actually increased recently. Chances are that number will increase again as the federal government continues to encourage charter schools as an option/competition to traditional public schools.
As far as the location or building, any site chosen would have to be remodeled to serve as a school. I’ve seen it done in several types of buildings, whether its old department stores, churches, or even a vacant office building. Someone suggested the Armory as a space. This will really depend on who is backing the school. If it’s only the citizens of New Rochelle, then it will be a challenge. With support from the city (not necesarily the New Rochelle School District),
Charter Middle School on South End
I think the best place to start would be a charter middle school on the South End. So many families opt out of the middle school and send their children to private school or move out when the children reach 6th grade.
And What About the Lotteries
There are many southend families that apply for out of district lotteries for elementary school (ex Daniel Webster)
Re: And What about the Lotteries
Lotteries are important and should continue to happen. However, I’d be curious to know what percentage of applicants actually get into these schools via lotteries? In all likelihood, a charter would have to conduct a lottery as well since there may be many more applications than seats available.
The point of a charter school is to create more options for families, as well as competition for established public schools. This forces the established school system to perform better-thus better opportunities for our children.
YES.
–
I agree with NewRochelle101.
Maybe there’s room for a charter school in the Armory?
Better yet, I like the Blessed Sacrament or Holy Family suggestions. They are already set up with K-8 classrooms. Probably just need a fresh coat of paint!
Sounds intriguing.
Elementary only? or would middle school and high school also be a consideration?
Grades to be served and Space
There are different models, all with pro’s and con’s. It could be a traditional elementary (k-5) or a K-8, a 6 to 8, or a 6-12. Again, it would depend on what the public wants/needs. I think a small K-8 (600 to 700 kids at scale) model would work well considering the population we would serve. The charter school I was a director at was a K-8. My feeling is that there is more of a need for the early grades at this time. If this school would come into existence, a plan for a high school could be examined as the first charter develops.
A BIG question is where would this school go? Charters in NYC have incredible support from the NYCDOE and many schools are located within Dept of Ed space (i.e. free facilities). Ideally, if the City of New Rochelle supports this, they could offer space that they subsidize (could be an old warehouse, church, or other building). If the city does not support and the school is born from public demand, we would, in all likelihood, have to find private donors (which most charters do as well) to help fund facilities costs. Many of the new developments in the downtown area should be very involved in this.
Do you know New Rochelle?
These comments seem to be so far off the mark that I would say you have to go back to the drawing board. New Rochelle closed schools and is now bursting at the seams in the schools it left open. I have no knowledge of any building the board of education subsidizes but I would like to know where these places are if they do. The new developments downtown for the main part have received big tax abatements and they have not offered any additional taxes to the city.
Re; Do you know New Rochelle?
I’m not sure what you are referring to as “off the mark.” I clearly understand that New Rochelle schools are enrolled at high numbers. Whether they closed schools in the past for whatever reason, that has nothing to do with opening a charter school. Again, charters operate independent of the local school district. The local school district can choose to support the charter school or not. The fact that you say the schools are “bursting at the seam” clearly indicate a need for more schools, traditional public or charter public.
As far as the facility goes, again, the Board of Ed does not have to be involved in this. I am sure the city itself has available space that would be converted (if the support was there) or could find space to support the school. If not, private facilities could be secured and converted into a school space. In fact, possible locations could even include our institutes of higher learning, such as the College of New Rochelle or Iona if they chose to support the school. Again, these are just ideas and nothing concrete.
I mentioned the new developments only because it is in their benefit to ensure that our school system flourishes, instead of decline. In light of the generous tax abatements they were given, supporting the school should not be a difficult endeavor for Mr. Trump or the builder of those projects. It would be a goal of the fundraising arm of the school to enlist their support.
Many illegals living in New Rochelle
It actually wouldn’t solve the problem due to the fact that many illegal aliens will still be living in New Rochelle. Our taxes would still be extremely high as ALL of New Rochelle has to pay for their services. That’s just the way it goes in our country right now. Ya gotta pay to play folks!
How many illegal aliens are in New Rochelle?
Also, how many children were brought to this country after they were born and then enrolled in our schools?
Remember, that if a child is born in the U.S., regardless of whether their parents are here legally or not, the child IS a U.S. citizen by birth.
I would like to get a handle on what the cost is of providing education to illegal aliens by calculating the number of students who are illegal aliens and multiplying by $20k per year.
How would you find the answer to that?
+
I don’t think the schools are allowed to ask that question upon registration. All one needs to show is proof that they ‘live’ in New Rochelle (utility bill, etc.).
(Questioning/falsifying proof of New Rochelle residency is also an issue.)
Ironically, you don’t need to show proof that you are a ‘legal resident’ of the United States. Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse?
“Host Families”
I found it interesting when registering my children for school in New Rochelle, you could put down a “host family”. You didn’t have to have a residence in NR, but if you had a “host family” you could register your children. Does anyone know what that means? Could it be an illegal apartment in a house or renting rooms?
Really?
I’ve never heard that before. Was that actually on the registration form? ‘Host Family’? Wow.
This cost is one of the greatest costs to New Rochelle
The problem lies here in the children go to school and the parents earned money goes back to Mexico. Very little comes back to New Rochelle. This isn’t just a problem posed for New Rochelle, this is a major problem in every city and town in America. Solve this and you’ll help get our nation out of the worst economic times since the great depression. The mexican immigrant is extremely different than his predecessors, of the irish, italian, and chinese communities. Those immigrant communities didn’t send the money back to their homeland and migrate here for 6-9 months at a time. They made homes here and paid taxes. The mexican immigrant fails to make a permanent home in the united states, yet he uses all of the services our country offers. The loopholes need to be closed and we need to stop losing 350 million dollars a day. It’s possible, New Rochelle counts for 1 million dollars a day of lost net income due to illegal aliens living in our city. Solve this and you’ll be heralded an american hero.
Cappelli’s New Roc apartments luring our ot towners
Cappelli’s New Roc apartments are using the city’s “excellent schools” on WVOX as a lure for tenants in his building. If it is so difficult to get tenants then I think there will be reluctance for him to financially support any education ventures. Charter schools have the option of selecting students and this would have an impact on their educational “results” with children. Like any private venture they do not need to put up with any student who does not behave.
I still maintain that if parents were more involved with their chidren’s education (including taking an interest in what the Board of Education does) achievement would soar. Too many parents are ready to “blame” the teacher, school system etc. and are unwilling to accept various problems, e.g. their child does not pay attention, does do homework etc. But, yes, I agree, supervision of teachers is also an important ingredient in success. Taking young teachers and working them to the bone will only work for a few years until they are fully stressed out or burned out.
Re: Cappelli’s New Roc apartments luring our ot towners
A couple of corrections to your post. 1) Charter schools DO NOT, I REPEAT-DO NOT, have the option of selecting students. If a child applies and there is space, the school must accept the child (provided special education services, if any, can be met). If more children apply than there are seats, a lottery must be held to determine order of acceptance. It is not based on anything else. The school can make the application process somewhat involved (i.e. mandatory orientations) to help gauge parent involvement but generally that is frowned upon.
2) Charter schools are NOT a private venture–they are a non profit organization funded through public tax dollars. If a child does not behave, the school must go through their discipline policy that was approved by the State (i.e. the state will not approve of an expulsion consequence for minor infractions). That being said, the charter school probably would have more flexibility in terms of what consequences can be leveled against those who have discipline issues.
I happen to agree with you 100% that in many of the cases where children struggle, parent involvement is the key issue. The problem is, many of these parents have had negative interactions with school in their past and may feel initimated by the institution. Put yourself in the place of some of these immigrants who speak no English–it can be an overwhelming and intimidating situation for them to enter a school. Some other parents may simply have had poor experiences with their schooling. Schools, at least the successful ones, with these populations tend to go out of their way to get parents involved one way or another (a simple thing would be to offer ESL classes to parents on Saturdays–it would not be very expensive and some teachers may even volunteer). This may get parents to feel more comfortable becoming a part of the school community. I know some may ask, “isn’t it the school’s job to educate children, not their parent?” YES, it is. But, if you want to improve our schools, help has to come from home. This is outside the box thinking.
Great point about working teachers to the bone. That is probably problem #1 with the charters in NYC–in fact, I typically recruit teachers who have worked in charters for this reason. Most are looking to leave after 2 or 3 years because of the demanding hours. While I believe in a slightly longer school day, the time needs to be used efficiently (both for the teachers and students) which some schools do not do.
Re: Cappelli’s New Roc apartments luring our ot towners
Sorry–this was me that posted but was not logged in so it posted anonymously..
A couple of corrections to your post. 1) Charter schools DO NOT, I REPEAT-DO NOT, have the option of selecting students. If a child applies and there is space, the school must accept the child (provided special education services, if any, can be met). If more children apply than there are seats, a lottery must be held to determine order of acceptance. It is not based on anything else. The school can make the application process somewhat involved (i.e. mandatory orientations) to help gauge parent involvement but generally that is frowned upon.
2) Charter schools are NOT a private venture–they are a non profit organization funded through public tax dollars. If a child does not behave, the school must go through their discipline policy that was approved by the State (i.e. the state will not approve of an expulsion consequence for minor infractions). That being said, the charter school probably would have more flexibility in terms of what consequences can be leveled against those who have discipline issues.
I happen to agree with you 100% that in many of the cases where children struggle, parent involvement is the key issue. The problem is, many of these parents have had negative interactions with school in their past and may feel initimated by the institution. Put yourself in the place of some of these immigrants who speak no English–it can be an overwhelming and intimidating situation for them to enter a school. Some other parents may simply have had poor experiences with their schooling. Schools, at least the successful ones, with these populations tend to go out of their way to get parents involved one way or another (a simple thing would be to offer ESL classes to parents on Saturdays–it would not be very expensive and some teachers may even volunteer). This may get parents to feel more comfortable becoming a part of the school community. I know some may ask, “isn’t it the school’s job to educate children, not their parent?” YES, it is. But, if you want to improve our schools, help has to come from home. This is outside the box thinking.
Great point about working teachers to the bone. That is probably problem #1 with the charters in NYC–in fact, I typically recruit teachers who have worked in charters for this reason. Most are looking to leave after 2 or 3 years because of the demanding hours. While I believe in a slightly longer school day, the time needs to be used efficiently (both for the teachers and students) which some schools do not do.
Charter Schools do have parent requirements
From what I know about charter schools they require parents to agree to the terms of the school which often includes both students and parents signing contracts on what is expected. Please clarify this point. Therefore, there are many legal reasons the charter school can remove children. This, to me, is a way of selecting students. If public schools had anything near this option I am sure they could do a much better job. I would like to learn more about how the charter school handles handicapped, learning disabled, and special education students. If they are not forced to take these children they have a very great advantage over the public schools.
If charter schools cause teachers to leave in two to three years because of overwork or burn-out, students will have no feeling of belonging. Test scores are only part of the way education should be evaluated. How much creativity do students exhibit?
Are students of all achievement levels remaining in the school? What are the most important qualifications sought in teachers? There are many questions which need answers. I look forward to your reply.
Re: Charter Schools do have parent requirements
Most charters schools do have “contracts” or agreements that spell out expectations for families (I brought that over with me to my current traditional public school because it’s a good idea). It is NOT legally binding (and I always made sure that parents understood this) but simply meant to be a road map for the ideal expectations of both the school and the family. You CAN NOT be thrown out of the school for not honoring it. Some charter leaders may try to give families the impression that they can be removed if the contract is “not honored”, but that would be an example of questionable management (or at best, unethical behavior). Again, your guidelines for expelling a student must be clearly stated in the school’s charter which must be approved by New York State. Any abuse of these type of things (enrollment, trying to expel without merit, etc.) could result in a complaint to the State with ramifications that could include that the charter be revoked. A properly run school should enforce “the contract” to the best of its ability. After all, everything in that document is in the best interests of the child. Things that the school could do would include daily phone calls for updates on student performance, home visits, and require parents to come and observe at the school. Many parents may decide to move their child back to a traditional public if they do not feel like “being under the microscope”.
Special education, as it is throughout the country, has been difficult for charters. Without knowing the SPED population in New Rochelle, it would be hard to say. At its most basic level, the school must have at least 1 SPED teacher on staff (which could be for a self contained 12-1 class but usually would be for SETSS pull-out). The school would have to make arrangements with the local district for related services such as speech, guidance, physical therapy, etc. (so the same public funds the school receives from the state/city would go back to the BOE to pay for these services). The school could provide services on its own but likely would not because of the significantly smaller population. For children with more severe IEP’s, the parent would have to make the decision to alter the IEP (through the local CSE) to match what the school offers if they feel it would benefit the child. Obviously children with more severe disabilities would probably not benefit from less restrictive environments (this is the same exact situation that occurs in traditional public schools–children with more severe disabilities may have to attend specialized schools).
Your last paragraph all speaks to the leadership of the particular school. As a school leader, one of my main concerns is to ensure that there is little turnover amongst staff. That is done through planning a school that DOES NOT just value test scores–obviously, there are many aspects to a child and their education. If those things are done right, the test scores will come. Unfortunately, in today’s climate, test scores are the end all, be all so we can not pretend that they do not exist. From what I’ve seen, children and their families will remain in the school if they feel a proper education is being given. I hire teachers who have demonstrated achievement in both their educational and professional experience and understand how to work with children AND adults. A school is a complex organization where human interaction is key and you have to bring many personalities together for one common cause (and those personalities range from age 5 to age 70 in some cases). To run a school correctly (where children and staff feel appreciated), administrators must realize the complexity of the organization. Unfortunately, many do not and you have the issues that our schools face today.
Charter schools are not perfect and I doubt schools will find perfection anytime in the near future. However, to stand by and watch our school system deteriorate slowly is not acceptable. If you look at other major cities/suburbs where the school systems have failed (LA, NYC, Miami, Paterson (NJ), Yonkers maybe?), it has almost always started with a change in demographics where the school system has failed to adjust in a productive manner. Once that fails and children do not receive a proper education, the quality of life in the city is bound to deteriorate as these children mature. From here, your city is as good as lost.
We need leadership that understands the challenges of a school system and is willing to learn from the mistakes of other cities. Let’s not wait until the problem grows out of control. A charter will make the NRBOE take a look at itself closely as well as allow for more transparent accountability.
Blessed Sacrament Building
Or use the Blessed Sacrament building. Their elementary recently closed.
charter schools work
Use the Holy Family site. You will get parents that will buy into this – specially those who are disatisfied with the public schools that don’t welcome family imput.
John Howe