Join the conversation

...about what is working in our public schools.

A Successful School on the Chopping Block

vonzastrowc's picture
By Claus von Zastrow on March 19, 2010

Our timing could hardly have been worse. On the very day we posted our story about the achievements of Carstens Elementary School in Detroit, the Detroit Free Press listed Carstens among the many schools slated for closure in that city. Why? Because there just aren't enough students to fill the building.

Carstens is a victim of Detroit's bitter economic struggles. As whole neighborhoods atrophy, even good schools like Carstens can face dwindling enrollments and end up on the chopping block. There are forces other than academic failure that can bring a school down.

Some observers have hailed the Detroit Public Schools' Emergency Financial Manager, Robert Bobb, for his vision of "New Orleans-style reform." But the story of Carstens should remind us that even the best plans can leave casualties in their wake.

I don't know the details behind the closing. It may well be that a district can't sustain a small school in a large building. It may be that the district's plans to merge Carstens with a struggling middle school will lift more boats than it sinks.

But we should never forget that reforms can have a big, and often unintended, impact on communities. Here's what Carstens' parent liaison told the Free Press: "This school is a beacon. ... These children are in crisis and have no recourse other than this school." As Anne put it yesterday, "The transition will not be easy, but if there is anyone who will be able to make it successful, it’s the Carstens staff."

A truly struggling school system like Detroit may have no option other than to close, consolidate and restart schools. But a school like Carstens should remind us to temper our triumphalism.

Image credit: Karen Apricot New Orleans.

Link to this story: http://www.learningfirst.org/successful-school-chopping-block

4 Comments Digg this article Del.icio.us

We cannot afford to keep

Submitted by Linda Aragoni on Fri, 03/19/2010 - 08:43

We cannot afford to keep under-used buildings open, but shutting them isn't cheap either. A vacant school building remains a drain on tax payers. And consolidating schools raises transportation costs.

Economic factors will force schools (and bureaucrats) to rethink school building use. The Greenville (NY) High School has begun a business incubator. Its first occupant is a start-up biotechnology company. http://www.thedailymail.net/articles/2010/03/09/news/doc4b95ebb02c5bb050...

The company helps with the school science program now, hopes to add jobs to the local economy later. When the business moves out of the school to its own facility, it will pay property taxes that help keep the school operating.

I'm sure every school district has some business or non-profit that could be housed in under-used schools. The idea is certainly worth exploring, given the problems of closing a school permanently.

»

Kansas City is REALLY going

Submitted by Mrs. C on Fri, 03/19/2010 - 09:39

Kansas City is REALLY going through it... and about high time. It's something that should have been done years ago because nobody with the means to leave or privately educate wants to send their kids to the crummy schools there.

Of course, plenty of the white flight comes to OUR neighbourhood, and our schools are way overcrowded and they keep building more. But one way or another, people do vote with their feet.

I don't think anyone is triumphant when good teachers lose jobs and children lose schools, though.

»

Is there anything instructive

Submitted by David B. Cohen on Fri, 03/19/2010 - 13:33

Is there anything instructive here about what could happen if the total school choice and school vouchers advocates had their way? What happens when numbers and demographics shift significantly, and wouldn't the problems be exacerbated under those models? I'm not entirely opposed to the idea of expanding choice, but it has to be done with some commitment to equitable support for all students and schools. I am opposed to vouchers.

»

Linda--that's a fascinating

Submitted by vonzastrowc on Sun, 03/21/2010 - 20:52

Linda--that's a fascinating story. It would be interesting to learn more. Those kinds of partnerships have made Carstens strong. Your suggestion takes partnerships to a new level. I imagine there are various regulatory and security issues involved, but it's interesting to see that a model already exists.

Mrs. C--In the Case of Carstens, parents didn't vote with their feet to remove students from the school. Other opportunities presumably dried up in the area and people moved out. having grown up near Detroit in the '70s, I know that that process has been underway for a long, long time. And while you're right that people generally aren't triumphant at the loss of good teachers, it is useful to remember that excellent reform initiatives can do collateral damage. 

David--I, too, am not opposed to choice. I'm not quite sure what will happen with choice as demographics shift. What kinds of scenarios do you envision?

»

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.

More information about formatting options