Charter school restrictions

[Johnduffy]

I understand the Charter school has sent out 150 letters to parents stating their children will no longer be eligible to attend the school because the high school will not be large enough to handle that many students.
I know this includes several Juniors that won't be able to graduate from the high school next year.
This seems extremely unfair and not well thought out.
Does anyone have any info on this matter.

[Jayhawk]

Old news. This was in a thread last week on here or the online newspaper. Can't recall the title but you might search and find it. Bottom line is everyone knew the rules when they enrolled.

[graciegirl]

Class size has been imposed by the state causing the school to limit the number of students.. It is a private school with entrance rules. If a parent is no longer employed by The Villages their child is not allowed to go to the charter school. Everyone knows the rules when they enroll.

This is just one of the things that will be painful for people who will no longer work for The Villages as they stop building.

[njbchbum]

Here is the article from a local paper which website can be highlighted here:
About 140 students sent packing from The Villages Charter School - Daily Commercial: News (http://www.dailycommercial.com/news/article_3640bfd1-0197-5313-83a6-18be8abdf66e.html)

[janmcn]

Everyone knows the rules, but the problem is those rules can be changed every year.

[spring_chicken]

Everyone knows the rules, but the problem is those rules can be changed every year.

And they were. They eliminated one of the "qualifiers" that has kept many Jr's in that school for 11 years. Now they are sent packing.
Ruthless.

[graciegirl]

And they were. They eliminated one of the "qualifiers" that has kept many Jr's in that school for 11 years. Now they are sent packing.
Ruthless.

Not ruthless. Rules. It happens all of the time. Kids are moved when their parents move with their jobs. The reason that kids are allowed to attend the charter school is that their parents work for The Villages but the school still must follow state rules about class size. It is going to get worse as The Villages downsizes it's building business, no longer builds homes, and fewer people are employed by The Villages. .

.

[Jejuca]

Class size rules have been in place for several years. The Villages Charter School should have been well aware of the rules. One of the problems with charter schools is that they are very poorly regulated by the state. I worked in both public and charter schools in one of the largest school districts in Florida and it is only recently that Florida has even attempted to hold charter schools accountable.

[outlaw]

"Parents said the students are being disqualified as the result of a new policy requiring business owners to lease a property directly from The Villages. If they sublease the property from a non-Villages entity, they are disqualified, parents said. When she contacted the school, Larue said she was told: “You can find another job or if your boss rents an office directly from the Villages, it would be OK.”

I'm sure the developer has a good reason for this. Let's all just be calm and see how this plays out. And if you don't like it, you can move.

[spring_chicken]

Class size rules have been in place for several years. The Villages Charter School should have been well aware of the rules. One of the problems with charter schools is that they are very poorly regulated by the state. I worked in both public and charter schools in one of the largest school districts in Florida and it is only recently that Florida has even attempted to hold charter schools accountable.

Bingo.

[janmcn]

"Parents said the students are being disqualified as the result of a new policy requiring business owners to lease a property directly from The Villages. If they sublease the property from a non-Villages entity, they are disqualified, parents said. When she contacted the school, Larue said she was told: “You can find another job or if your boss rents an office directly from the Villages, it would be OK.”

I'm sure the developer has a good reason for this. Let's all just be calm and see how this plays out. And if you don't like it, you can move.


If your boss rents an office directly from the Villages, your kids can stay. If your boss subleases the property from a non-Villages entity, your kids must go. It sounds like these kids are being used as pawns so that the Villages can rent more commercial space. Unbelievably sad.

[Jayhawk]

The Charter School is an employee benefit, just like a 401k, health insurance, or any other work related benefit. And yes, they can all change periodically for whatever reason.

There is also an issue of supply and demand. The eligibility rules have different tiers. If there are more eligible employees in the top tier, why should they be kept out while lower tier employees enjoy the benefit.

This is very similar to someone relocating for a new job. Kids have to change schools. My own had to (one a junior in high school) and they lived through it.

[Villager Joyce]

One of the professionals we work with has a position that is charter school qualified. She decided not to enroll her children in charter school because it could prevent her from a career change. She understood the positives and negatives, and made the decision she felt was best for her and her family.

[sunnyatlast]

If your boss rents an office directly from the Villages, your kids can stay. If your boss subleases the property from a non-Villages entity, your kids must go. It sounds like these kids are being used as pawns so that the Villages can rent more commercial space. Unbelievably sad.

Maybe y'all should ask those non-villages entities to build and fund operations of the additional school buildings, facilities, and staffing to accommodate their employees' children, as the TV developers did for their employees.

Those non-TV employers, too, could form a FL workplace charter school, or fund expansion of TVCS. IF they take such risks with their money, to build a more motivated and happier workforce.

[Bizdoc]

Maybe y'all should ask those non-villages entities to build and fund operations of the additional school buildings, facilities, and staffing to accommodate their employees' children, as the TV developers did for their employees.

Those non-TV employers, too, could form a FL workplace charter school, or fund expansion of TVCS. IF they take such risks with their money, to build a more motivated and happier workforce.

Well put.

[JoMar]

Maybe y'all should ask those non-villages entities to build and fund operations of the additional school buildings, facilities, and staffing to accommodate their employees' children, as the TV developers did for their employees.

Those non-TV employers, too, could form a FL workplace charter school, or fund expansion of TVCS. IF they take such risks with their money, to build a more motivated and happier workforce.
:agree:

[circletrack]

Maybe y'all should ask those non-villages entities to build and fund operations of the additional school buildings, facilities, and staffing to accommodate their employees' children, as the TV developers did for their employees.

Those non-TV employers, too, could form a FL workplace charter school, or fund expansion of TVCS. IF they take such risks with their money, to build a more motivated and happier workforce.

Great post. As was the post above comparing the school benefit to a 401k.

I feel bad for those kids that have to switch schools, but attendance to this school was an added benefit, not a guarantee.

Also, after talking with some parents, this was not an out of the blue decision thrust upon the parents at the last minute. The rule change has been in the works for some time.

[mulligan]

Maybe y'all should ask those non-villages entities to build and fund operations of the additional school buildings, facilities, and staffing to accommodate their employees' children, as the TV developers did for their employees.

Those non-TV employers, too, could form a FL workplace charter school, or fund expansion of TVCS. IF they take such risks with their money, to build a more motivated and happier workforce.

Sounds like: wait for it...................A result of collective bargaining.:boom:

[Chatbrat]

Gosh,its not class size that matters-its families --when I went to school we had 36 students in our classes, over 95% went to college--Judge Judy went to the same Jr. High---in my old neighborhood if you didn't go to college-you couldn't get a date

Class size is just an excuse for failing school districts

[outlaw]

Or it could be that when the lease period was up, the new terms included increased rent and a bigger piece of the profits, basically forcing them out if they did not accept the "terms". But more importantly, think of the good lesson The Villages are teaching these young students; that life is not fair and there are no guarantees in life. I think that is worth the rather minor inconvenience of these families. Actually, the developer is probably doing these kids a favor by kicking them out, some of them in their senior year. A different school with new teachers and new friends will be good training for them when they enter the real world.

[graciegirl]

Or it could be that when the lease period was up, the new terms included increased rent and a bigger piece of the profits, basically forcing them out if they did not accept the "terms". But more importantly, think of the good lesson The Villages are teaching these young students; that life is not fair and there are no guarantees in life. I think that is worth the rather minor inconvenience of these families. Actually, the developer is probably doing these kids a favor by kicking them out, some of them in their senior year. A different school with new teachers and new friends will be good training for them when they enter the real world.


Class envy or lack of information? I am sure the teachers and staff and the Morses feel bad when this happens. Why wouldn't they? They are all good people.

It is the same old same old. We can't always bend the rules of society to accommodate everyone, every single time. It is ultimately the parents responsibility to see that their children get a good education.

[outahere]

Actually, the developer is probably doing these kids a favor by kicking them out, some of them in their senior year. A different school with new teachers and new friends will be good training for them when they enter the real world.

While in some ways it could be good training for later in life, I must respectfully disagree about making seniors move to another school. Forcing seniors to change schools, and leave the one where many of them have been for many years, will be a very difficult transition. As a child of parent who moved quite a bit for work, I changed schools six times from 2nd grade until 10th grade - moving from a good school to poor schools then to mediocre schools. Each time we moved it was extremely frustrating to know that I would probably be moving again in a couple of years, and made it difficult to cultivate any real friendships. Once I started high school I wanted some continuity for the the next three years and the only way to ensure that was to enroll in a private boarding school for the last three years of high school. I was fortunate to qualify for a pretty good scholarship, so the financial burden on my parents was not as bad as it could have been. I'm guessing that many/most of the kids probably don't have that option.

[jflynn1]

You really should understand the rules for attending the Charter School. Your assumptions are only partially correct.

[jflynn1]

You really should understand all of restrictions involved to attend the Villages Charter School. I believe there are only two other Charter schools in Florida that are allowed to operate the same way Villages Charter School does.

[graciegirl]

You really should understand all of restrictions involved to attend the Villages Charter School. I believe there are only two other Charter schools in Florida that are allowed to operate the same way Villages Charter School does.

You mean that there are only two other schools that gives this amazing privilege to workers? It benefits the developer and it benefits us and it certainly benefits the families involved. It will be very sad to see it wind down, but people don't like The Villages to keep growing.........

[outlaw]

[B][COLOR=magenta]


Class envy or lack of information? I am sure the teachers and staff and the Morses feel bad when this happens. Why wouldn't they? They are all good people.

Definitely not class envy. I don't go around envying people. What's to envy? Gary Morse died at a relatively young age. He lost his wife to cancer, I believe. I feel sorry for the hand he was dealt wrt his and his wife's health issues. I would not envy someone based on their wealth, just as much as I would not worship someone because of their wealth. I am not sure the Morses feel bad about this, because if they did, they could do something about it. After all, it is their ball, right? Would you feel a little more sympathetic if one of those kids was your grandchild? Or would you say "sorry, those are the rules"?

[sunnyatlast]

Definitely not class envy. I don't go around envying people. What's to envy? Gary Morse died at a relatively young age. He lost his wife to cancer, I believe. I feel sorry for the hand he was dealt wrt his and his wife's health issues. I would not envy someone based on their wealth, just as much as I would not worship someone because of their wealth. I am not sure the Morses feel bad about this, because if they did, they could do something about it. After all, it is their ball, right? Would you feel a little more sympathetic if one of those kids was your grandchild? Or would you say "sorry, those are the rules"?

I'm pretty sure these regular public school families were told "sorry, those are the rules" when this occurs routinely, every year around the nation:

"SANFORD — Closing two schools in Seminole County could trigger a wave of rezonings that would affect thousands of students and half of the elementary schools in the district.

Parents who thought they had nothing to worry about quickly could be drawn into a controversy that will expand far beyond the two closed schools.

All 17 Seminole elementary schools east of U.S. Highway 17-92 and south of Lake Jesup could be swept into the mix as new school attendance zones are drawn for the remaining 15. Enrollment at the schools tops 12,000 students.

"It is going to affect possibly thousands of other students," said Deputy Superintendent George Kosmac.

The problem, officials say, is that a low-enrollment school chosen to be closed may not have neighboring schools with empty seats to take those kids. That means some students from adjacent schools would have to be shifted to make room, starting a chain reaction of students being bumped from school to school….."

School closings Seminole: School closings in Seminole County would force attendance zone changes affecting thousands of students - tribunedigital-orlandosentinel (http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-01-28/features/os-seminole-school-closing-redistricting-20120128_1_school-closings-elementary-schools-schools-with-empty-seats)

[Justus]

Maybe y'all should ask those non-villages entities to build and fund operations of the additional school buildings, facilities, and staffing to accommodate their employees' children, as the TV developers did for their employees.

Those non-TV employers, too, could form a FL workplace charter school, or fund expansion of TVCS. IF they take such risks with their money, to build a more motivated and happier workforce.

Very well stated.