On Monday the state’s controversial consultant CEE-Trust presented a plan for unaccredited school districts that gives individual schools more autonomy and eliminates the districts’ “central office” administration – a model similar to how charter schools operate.
In August, the state hired CEE-Trust, an Indianapolis-based consulting group, to create a new plan for how the state intervenes in unaccredited school districts.
In the Monday presentation, CEE-Trust leaders told the Missouri State Board of Education that the plan would not privatize public education because only nonprofit organizations would be allowed to operate the schools. Under state law, only nonprofits are allowed to operate charter schools, as well.
However unlike charter schools, the plan does not allow the nonprofits to contract with for-profit “educational management” companies to provide school services, said Ethan Gray, executive director of CEE-Trust. Potential nonprofits could include existing successful schools in the district or enterprising educators. The school operators would sign “performance agreements” with a newly created “Community Schools Office,” which would be in charge of accountability and dispersing state funds.
School board member Mike Jones, of St. Louis County, said that he appreciated hearing a new approach, especially considering that the current educational system was created in the 19thcentury.
“We are trying to make that same structure work for a 21st-century, post-industrial nation,” he said. “They tried to think about it in a new way. In most of the other proposals I’ve seen, they talk about how to tweak the existing system and I don’t think that works.”
On the other hand, one of the proposals backed by Rex Sinquefield suggested dismantling the public system all together, and that is not an option, Jones said.
“I believe public education is a utility, not a commodity,” he said. “If it is commodity, then it is only available to anyone who can afford it.”
The CEE-Trust proposal was specifically geared towards the Kansas City Public School District, but it could also be applied to Normandy and Riverview Gardens school districts.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has also received proposals from Normandy, Riverview Gardens and several other groups.
Normandy and Riverview Gardens superintendents declined interviews regarding the CEE-Trust plan, but both districts sent out statements acknowledging the proposal as just that – a proposal.
“The CEE-Trust plan is one of several under consideration and up for public input to address unaccredited school districts and the student transfer issue,” said Riverview Gardens Superintendent Scott Spurgeon.
Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro said she will review all the proposals and give her recommendation to the school board at the beginning of February.
Nicastro came under fire last month when the Kansas City Star uncovered emails and other records showing that Nicastro, CEE-Trust and two private foundations that funded CEE-Trust’s work – the Kauffman and Hall Family foundations – had been working on a plan together since April.
When the consulting contract came up to bid in June, DESE favored CEE-Trust in the bid process, records show.
In December, several groups, including the NAACP, immediately protested the study, and some Democratic legislators, including state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, have called for Nicastro’s resignation. In response to the controversy, CEE-Trust leaders pleaded for the opportunity to present the plan in January. The state school board publicly supported Nicastro and CEE-Trust.
The state school board is not expected to vote on any proposal until March.
The plan
Based on CEE-Trust’s research, the highest-performing urban schools have two main conditions in common. First, their school leaders are in charge of major decisions, including the school calendar, staffing – and most importantly, budget. The schools also have strong systems holding them accountable.
So here is what CEE-Trust proposed. All the schools would be operated by nonprofit organizations, and the Community Schools Office would act as the “accountability agent” that has minimal decision-making power over the schools. All school funds would be funneled through the Community Schools Office.
Last year, Kansas City Public Schools received $15,500 per student, but a majority of that money was centrally controlled, according to CEE-Trust’s analysis. In the plan, school leaders would have the power to make budgetary decisions on $10,000 per pupil versus the current $800. Basically, principals would have control over 65 percent of the school funds versus the five percent they currently control.
The plan also suggests providing high-quality preschool to every three- and four-year-old in Kansas City without raising taxes. In Kansas City, the analysis suggests that $28 million annually could be reallocated for preschool because the Community Schools Office structure would cut down on administrative costs, freeing up the funds.
Under the plan, nonprofits would not swoop in and start running schools. There would be a multi-year transitional period, where the Community Schools Office would train and grow the nonprofits. A “transition authority” would be responsible for schools not yet operating independently.
In an interview with The St. Louis American, Ethan Gray of CEE-Trust said that the plan was not based on the state’s charter school model.
“The charter school laws in Missouri are too weak,” Gray said. “It is one of the reasons there is not as good academic performance in Missouri charter schools as in other states, such as Massachusetts.”
Gray said the Community Schools Office has more resources and staff capacity to hold schools accountable than charter schools.
“The Community Schools Office will have a very rigorous process to make sure there are no fly-by-night school operators,” he said.
St. Louis crisis
Normandy School District will face bankruptcy as early as March, and Riverview Gardens has enough in savings to last through the school year. The school transfer law is being debated among state legislators, as well as how to handle the two districts’ pending bankruptcies.
When asked if he believes the CEE-Trust plan would work for Normandy and Riverview Gardens, Jones said it’s hard to say at the moment.
“To be honest, the first act of this drama is in the state Legislature,” Jones said. “The State Board of Education and DESE operate inside the context that the legislature creates.”
He believes Normandy’s currently financial crisis is a result of the transfer law.
“That will be the question – can the Legislature fix that?” Jones said. “If they can, there are options. If they won’t, they will have to try and figure out what options Normandy has.”
Nicastro will meet with Normandy’s school board on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. at 3855 Lucas and Hunt Road. The meeting is open to the public.