Posted 1:56 PM by Susan Darst Williams

IDEA FOR THE FIVE WORST GRADE SCHOOLS IN OPS:
A PARENTS' REVOLT, EMPOWERED BY THE UNICAM!

Love a California state law that gives control to parents when 51% of them vote that their lousy schools aren't cutting the mustard any more. Then the parents can work together to get the reforms they need. Or they can set up a charter school, or do whatever they think will work to turn things around.

An easy way to do this in the Omaha Public Schools would be for parents, nonprofits, churches and other concerned citizens of the five worst grade schools in OPS to join this national group:

http://parentrevolution.org/content/chapter-organizing-efforts

. . . and then lobby the Nebraska Legislature for enabling legislation to allow for a parent takeover of schools at the bottom of the heap. Let's define it as, say, math and reading test scores in the bottom 20% of the state. Then, following a due-process election and under health and safety constraints, of course, funding for kids who want to switch to the new school setting would follow them wherever they want to go.

The five worst grade schools in OPS are clustered in North Omaha. They could work together to make meaningful economies of scale.

Since Nebraska doesn't have charter school enabling legislation, then our new law could redirect the property tax and state aid for all students who elect this new schooling plan to fund a newly-formed private school, a lawfully-formed parent cooperative school, a multi-family attendance center homeschool, or perhaps to the Catholic archdiocesan schools under contract.

If OPS really is spending $12,000 per pupil per year, as reported, then woo hoo! A solid private grade-school education can be had in Omaha for less than half of that per pupil, counting transportation to and from. It could work!

Of COURSE it wouldn't make sense for MOST schools in Nebraska . . . but for all those of us who can't wait a single more minute to improve things for the kids who need good schooling the most, LET'S DO THIS!!!

Labels: fresh idea for Omaha Public Schools, parent empowerment in Omaha, parent revolution a good solution for Omaha's inner-city schools, putting low-income parents in charge