May 14th, 2008
I thought it might be a good time to do a follow up to a previous post on Odyssey Charter School in American Fork Utah. Having had personal experience at Odyssey Charter School and knowing parents whose students attend Mountainville Academy and Renaissance, it has been interesting to see what is happening in the Charter School area. As parent prepare to choose where their children will attend School next year, I think a few tidbits I have learned in the last three years may help them not to make the same mistakes we did.
Why does it matter if I choose the wrong school from the start? Many of these schools have long waiting lists now to get in. Some, like Mountainville have very long waiting lists in all grades currently. My understanding is others have yet to hit full enrollment. I think this is one of the first questions a parent should ask any Charter School. The fact a number of schools have full enrollment and waiting lists in all grades should be one factor indicating the current and past parents opinion of the school.
It also may not be easy to move a child from one to the other if you commit to attend one and then get admitted to another shortly after. The State Legislature has made this type of action harder this year. As a result, you want to choose wisely the first time.
Is the school in the black or red? The financial state of the school should be considered. Apparently some of the Directors and other staff hired at these schools do not know how to read a financial statement. As a result it is tough to not only keep within your budget but understand the best use of the funds available.
What is the turnover rate of enrolled families and why? This relates to the above information regarding enrollment. If families are happy with the experience, the waiting lists will continue to grow as current families will not be leaving. Those schools that are easier to get into may be this way because families are leaving the school due to poor teaching, poor administration, etc…
As an example, I have witnessed more than one Committee Chair and Past or Present General Board members leave Odyssey after their experience. These were not cases where the individual moved from the area but rather took their kids to another local school. It would seem these parents should be the schools strongest advocates having been willing to take on the biggest volunteer jobs. These types of departures should be especially concerning to others as these parents have the strongest working knowledge of what is in fact happening within the school. They also may be the ones that can provide the most accurate portrayal of issues with Staff and Administration.
Can the Board hire and keep good staff? A number of schools have recently lost their Director. Whether this was related to the Board inviting the Director to leave or the Director doing so on their own I don not know. Some schools have gone through multiple Business Managers in short periods of time. Some have had issues with teacher turnover. All of these should be considered. Odyssey has a printout available by the front desk that notes whether a charter school is good or not. One of these factors is the Board relationship with the Director. I think parents should ask about this. My experience tells me you may find a broad difference in answers board members will give.
Personally, would I choose Odyssey Charter School again today based on my experience with some current Board members and the current Administration? No, I would definitely look at one of the many other options in the area. I personally do not have any confidence in the current Director, some members of his staff, and some members of the Board to step up and make the necessary changes.
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