The voters in Seattle voted down having publicly funded Charter Schools. I think this is a good example of why we should re-think that action.
“High Tech High began in 2000 as a single charter high school launched by a coalition of San Diego business leaders and educators. It has evolved into a school development organization with a growing portfolio of innovative charter schools spanning grades K-12. HTH combats the twin problems of student disengagement and low academic achievement by creating personalized, project-based learning environments where all students are known well and challenged to meet high expectations. HTH schools attempt to show how education can be redesigned to ensure that all students graduate well prepared for college, work, and citizenship.”
Now in 2008--100 percent of graduates have been accepted to college, 80% to four-year institutions. They have eight schools (five high schools, two middle schools, and one elementary school). They have an enrollment of approximately 2500 students.
At each HTH school, their goals include:
• Serve a student body that mirrors the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the local community.
• Integrate technical and academic education to prepare students for post-secondary education in both high tech and liberal arts fields.
• Increase the number of educationally disadvantaged students in math and engineering who succeed in high school and post-secondary education.
• Graduate students who will be thoughtful, engaged citizens.
The website is well worth checking out. And as a side note, “The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded HTH a replication grant to create a national network of similar schools, in July 2000.
UPDATE I received the following email from a friend in response to this topic:
Funny you should bring this up.
A lot depends on the support you get when forming a school like this (tech). You can teach skills but in today’s economy you need some pretty sophisticated equipment to be relevant. Which means who are your partners? There is a symbiotic relationship that should develop with particular industries to access not only the equipment but also the intangibles, particularly the norms and practices of specific group and the ethics as related to the particular business.
During the 1800’s there was a big debate about schooling. Should we as a community educate kids or was it the function of the individual parent? Should parents in effect, home school. Northwest Ordinance, not with standing, schooling was largely through churches or affiliated with churches. Populist thought that schools would educate elitist and the public money would be best left to providing the ability to read and figure. Others, mostly the northern elitist wanted to produce a superior man able to fulfill his intellectual destiny.
The industrial revolution and mechanization of industry through the late 19th century early 20th produced a different approach but one still rooted in these concepts. Looking towards Bismarck’s Germany and the organization of the state, it was observed an educated citizenry was better matched to the new demands of a “mechanical” world. Schools began to serve several purposes: getting kids off the street, socializing immigrant and rural kids, ending competition from child labor with adults, preparing for then work force, and somewhere in there educating too, and some instances beyond reading writing and arithmetic. Schools became ranked towards who got out. Usually getting out (a high school diploma) meant that the person had a well-rounded education leading towards some success. College was reserved for the elite. There was a pretty good industrial arts component for those inclined to the Mechanical Arts. These were usually in larger cities near relevant businesses. My Dad’s High school had a pretty good Industrial Arts department. He went to Shaker Heights High School, Cleveland, Ohio. If you have read about Richard Nixon’s early life, the same could be said of Whittier High in California.
Came the war. Came the after math. One of the things that happened at the end of the war was an expansion of Union Power in the economy. The education component of the expansion said: “We will educate for our trade, you teach them to read and write”. That pretty much is the way it is now. Schools tend to educate towards college. What industrial arts there is is for those who can’t make it in normal school. That works for teachers (who mostly are unionized) it allows them to teach to the higher man and aim at the college bound. With the information economy this has worked out for them. The caveat was that if you didn’t go to college, the chances are you didn’t get a relevant education.
During the 50’s and early 60’s there was a low-key movement to reintroduce technical education. Many states started trade school for after high school. This is the State Tech Colleges (or Academy in some states). They have never been well funded----or directed. The education establishment also sees them as competition to Community colleges. There were also established in some school districts Technical High Schools. They were later turned in to Academic high schools and the technical aspects downplayed. Some have to still survive somewhere. I don’t know where.
So what about this school in San Diego? I really think it is a good idea. The question is “is this a dumping ground or are they expecting something”? The answer lies with who is running the show and how are they partnered? This is from their web site:
High Tech High began in 2000 as a single charter high school launched by a coalition of San Diego business leaders and educators. It has evolved into a school development organization with a growing portfolio of innovative charter schools spanning grades K-12. HTH combats the twin problems of student disengagement and low academic achievement by creating personalized, project-based learning environments where all students are known well and challenged to meet high expectations. HTH schools attempt to show how education can be redesigned to ensure that all students graduate well prepared for college, work, and citizenship.
It seems to be something that the business community got behind and championed. Washington could use this concept and with all the dot com stuff around here you would think something like this would come up. Bill Gates and his foundation fund stuff like this. They tried funding a program with these aims in a couple local districts and pulled out for failure to comply with the program goals. What is needed is leadership in the idea with a willingness to take on intransigent interests and offer an alternative. 1/3 of all kids in Seattle go to private high schools. There has to be a reason.
I can’t go on it “kinda” works me up!
Bob Barren
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