Comment & Debate
Scott Elliot. “The case for charter schools in Dayton”. Dayton Daily. November 12, 2005 – “At ISUS, they aggressively recruit dropouts, through juvenile court, word-of-mouth or other referrals. These are kids nobody seemed to care about six years ago. The kids get intensive instruction to try to raise their test scores to the point where they can pass a state exam and graduate.
Those that stick with the program can get assigned to job experience. The school has carpentry, electrical, drywall and plumbing crews. Higdon persuaded the Dayton Rotary Club and individual donors to fund a purchase of 60 dilapidated homes along Wolf Creek. One-by-one, the kids are rehabbing the houses, learning from their tradesman crew chiefs and rebuilding a whole neighborhood in the process. And some even get a small stipend if they show up on time and prepared.
The whole story of ISUS was made possible by the freedom of charter schools. Once the bonds of bureaucracy were broken, Higdon was able to put her innovations into motion and create a remarkable opportunity for kids who were mostly overlooked and ignored in the past.”
Emily Wilson. “A Charter School’s Unconventional Success”. NPR. August 23, 2006 – Day to Day, August 23, 2006 · Five years ago, the American Indian Charter High School in Oakland, Calif. was about to be closed down because of poor attendance and rock-bottom academic scores
But then Ben Chavis joined the school as principal — bringing his controversial political philosophy and unconventional curriculum with him — and now the school has the highest academic scores in the city and a nearly 100 percent attendance rate.