Played golf with a Villages Charter School official, I was shocked at their rules.
Last week, I played golf with one of the deans at The Villages Charter School in Middleton. We got to talking about what parents have to do to keep their kids enrolled there, and I couldn't believe some of what he told me.
For starters, at least one parent has to work for The Villages or one of the businesses that qualifies under their enrollment rules. If that parent quits, gets fired, or gets laid off, their kids immediately lose their eligibility to attend the school. He told me they typically give parents about a week to find another qualifying job before kicking the kids out. The school's official policy does allow parents to petition for more time, but there's no guarantee they'll get it.
He said he personally knew of situations where employers had taken advantage of workers with kids in the charter school because they knew those employees couldn't afford to lose their jobs.
Think about that. Your boss knows that if you quit or get fired, your kids could get kicked out of school. How much crap would you put up with at work if you knew your kids' education was on the line?
Then he told me about the parental involvement requirements. Parents have to put in 20 hours per student every school year doing volunteer work and other approved school activities. Have one kid in middle school and another in high school? That's 40 hours a year. And if you don't meet the requirement, your kids can lose their eligibility to attend.
Imagine buying a house in Middleton, getting your kids settled into school, making friends, getting to know their teachers, and then losing your job. Now, on top of worrying about paying the bills and finding another job, you've got to worry about your kids being forced out of school too.
I understand that charter schools have different rules, but this seems pretty ridiculous for a school that's funded by taxpayers.
Why should a kid's ability to stay in a public school depend on where their parents work? And how is it acceptable for a publicly funded school to operate this way?
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