Charter school at Dugger Union is official

Geo-TH,In · Aug 11, 2015

A year ago the school corporation wanted to close a small school, Dugger union, and bus kids.

The local people said no and they did something about it. Dugger union has officially became a charter school.

I find it refreshing that a local community was able to take control of their school out of the hands of the school board. This is the first time I've ever heard of anything like this.
charter school

MarkB_MI · Aug 11, 2015

Reading the article, it sounds like they are a long ways from actually forming a school. They haven't even determined whether they will create a charter school or try to create a new public school district. Will they actually have a school (public or chartered) at the start of the school year this fall? I seriously doubt it. After the kids go to a different school for a year, will they really want to come back to the local school?

LAA · Aug 11, 2015

Corrupt and incompetent teachers, administrators and union officials have completely destroyed public education in the USA, they did it at the behest of barry and hills party, it won't be easily or quickly reversed. They don't call them dumbocrats for nothing.

True Son · Aug 11, 2015

Spoken like a true Tea Party member.

Spook · Aug 11, 2015

(quoted from post at 19:13:31 08/11/15) Corrupt and incompetent teachers, administrators and union officials have completely destroyed public education in the USA, they did it at the behest of barry and hills party, it won't be easily or quickly reversed. They don't call them dumbocrats for nothing.

Give it a rest. This is about a declining small town, with enrollment in the school declining. Once the school goes, often the town goes also. It's been going on for a century, all over the country.

pete 23 · Aug 11, 2015

School is a tough business now days. Many years ago, I toyed with the idea of teaching at a Vocational school. I paid a certification fee, went to two meetings and never went back. Not for me. I have two boys teaching. I tell them both that the union has screwed them over. They don't buy it. One is in Wisconsin and the other in Minnesota. What the governor and legislature did in Wisconsin, in my opinion, was totally due to the union being unwilling to even look at compromises. There way or nothing. It hurt the whole teaching profession but I just say, the union asked for it . Hard to talk to the boys about teaching anymore. I'm not a tea party guy , but sure the he double toothpicks not a nnalert.

JD Seller · Aug 11, 2015

Mark That article was posted back in Feb. of 2014. So I am guessing that they are ready for this school year???? I have no dog in this fight but the more local you can keep education the better it is. It does NOT take fancy equipment or new buildings to teach kids what they need to know.

LAA · Aug 11, 2015

Read the article, the school system has been running a substantial deficit for years, wonder why that is? Nest feathering by members of the
education establishment would be my guess, of course, they were just doing it "for the children".

d282 · Aug 11, 2015

LAA, you also forgot to mention the ignorant public, ignorant parents, ignorant politicians and ignorant leaders. I use ignorant because I believe they care and have good intentions, but they do not understand what it takes to help students. It is frustrating when a 40-60 year old parent will say "In my day," when the students of today have nothing in common with them. It can be very frustrating when a law says you have to do it this way when it is 100% counter intuitive. Think of it this way: I am going to pass several laws that tell you how to do all the things you do in a day, except my way. I really care, and want to make you even more efficient. Perhaps if I am lucky I may be able to truly help you fix one thing, but would imagine that the rest would simply make your day longer or even more complicated, but remember, I want you to do better. Yes, I am a teacher, and no I am not a nnalert!

David G · Aug 11, 2015

The kids will suffer, the small schools just cant provide the resources that larger districts do. My kids transferred from smaller district two years ago to large one. It is amazing the difference in the level of classes and work they get now.

Best decision I ever made.

David G · Aug 12, 2015

Thank you for being a teacher, it seems they always get demonized.

MarkB_MI · Aug 12, 2015

>Mark That article was posted back in Feb. of 2014

Good catch JD. So it seems a lot has happened since then.

Apparently their initial charter school application was rejected, then they became an "online charter school campus" (whatever that is) for 2014-2015. <a href="http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_news/first-day-at-dugger-union-as-part-of-online-charter/article_7e431527-84a3-5979-940f-5179f65ddb7f.html">http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_news/first-day-at-dugger-union-as-part-of-online-charter/article_7e431527-84a3-5979-940f-5179f65ddb7f.html</a>

Apparently that was less than a roaring success, so they've tried the charter school route again. <a href="http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/Dugger-school-to-start-new-chapter-as-Grace-charter-6768183">http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/Dugger-school-to-start-new-chapter-as-Grace-charter-6768183</a>

The article says they need at 230 students signed up. That's pretty small for a K-12 school; 18 students per class year. They may soon find out why the district closed their schools.

Traditional Farmer · Aug 12, 2015

If I had school age kids no way they'd be going to a public school.Best educated and sensible children I talk to these days are either going to Mennoite/Amish schools or home schooled.

Geo-TH,In · Aug 12, 2015

MarkB_Mi

Dugger Union is now operating under a charter through Grace College. On Tuesday morning, the written contract was signed in front of students.

The people of Dugger and the news media have a totally different spin on their small local school becoming a charter school after many set backs.

It's success remains to be seen. Bet the school board that decided to close the school never thought there would be so much opposition.

Kids in Indiana don't have to attend public schools. We have an online K-12. Not every kid can function in a public school. Kids and parents in Indiana now have a choice. We also have charter schools and vouchers. A voucher allows parents to enroll their students in a private or church based school. Those schools also have to pass the same standards of public schools, take the same state exams.

I think it's a good thing that public schools finally have competition, which can only be a good thing for all kids.
They are officially a charter school

LAA · Aug 12, 2015

You are correct regarding the ignorant public in general, we would not have the various disasters in education and government without selfish and stupid people who vote for politicians whom they believe will butter their bread.

wilson ind · Aug 12, 2015

first day of class yesterday Yes they have school and looks to be good teachers

Geo-TH,In · Aug 12, 2015

The kids are not forced to attend the charter school, they can go to the consolidated school, private school or church school. Indiana voucher system was passed in 2011. Kids and parents now have a choice to decide what's best, not a school board. Students at Voucher schools must pass the same standardized test that students are required to pass in public schools.

Those crying the most are the teachers unions and perhaps the school board for making the wrong decision to close the school and bus the kids.

MarkB_MI · Aug 12, 2015

Well, George, I wish them well. The article at your link doesn't say how many students they've enrolled, but it's pretty difficult to operate a K-12 school with less than 300 students.

We've had charter schools in Michigan for over a decade, and their results have been unimpressive. Their performance at educating kids is no better or worse than the public schools, except they get to turn a profit.
Michigan spends 1B on charter schools but fails to hold them accountable

Geo-TH,In · Aug 12, 2015

I don't think there are too many schools in Indiana that are held accountable.

2 schools can have the same test scores and one school is in trouble and other isn't. It's OK to have low scores as long as you have a certain number of kids on the free lunch program. What does a free lunch have to to with students being held accountability and learning? Test scores are a joke, period.

Geo-TH,In · Aug 12, 2015

Are you going to apply for a job?

wilson ind · Aug 12, 2015

George if I was not having so much health problems I would. Though about asking for $1.00 per year teaching the Black Arts (Agri production, Welding, Mechanics ). Hey I know what I'm worth. LOL The one dollar should give me legal protection.

wilson ind · Aug 12, 2015

Might contact the school and offer to sub when I can for buck a day. Bet I would get more work than wanted. Just would like to help then get started.

Geo-TH,In · Aug 12, 2015

I think it's great to see Dugger do the next to impossible. It's about time to see an end to public school monopoly and all the politics that goes with it.

oldtanker · Aug 12, 2015

We have a local school that's in trouble with declining enrollment. What people fail to realize is that keeping these small schools open cost money. If they can consolidate a couple of small schools they have one building to maintain and heat plus can generally get rid of a few teachers too. If they can't do that someone has to pay the difference. That someone is us. Was funny a few years back when our district was told by the state they had to build a new school. They had the levy on the ballot that fall. My wife's cousin, single mom, renting a house bragged to everyone how she was voting yes. Bragged that it wasn't going to affect her tax wise. It passed and the next month her rent was raised. She just couldn't understand why her landlord raised her rent at all, much less a year before the levy was going to affect property taxes. The folks in the declining district (line is one mile east of me) had to build a new school too. 2 K-12 schools 15 miles apart. Now they are crying because one entire wing is shut down with no students to fill the classrooms. But they were the ones against consolidating schools.

Rick

Geo-TH,In · Aug 13, 2015

Are you going to apply for a job?

Bret4207 · Aug 14, 2015

Keeping small schools open does cost money, that's true. But keeping a failing large school open costs even more. I won't even get into what those long bus rides involve to the "One Big School".

We homeschooled last year, not our first choice, and wanted to put the kids in another local school this year. It would mean paying tuition and my driving them back and forth. No school in our area accepts tuition students anymore! A school voucher program? Not in NY! So now we're back to another year of homeschooling.

Charter school at Dugger Union is official

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