Charter School or Cherry picker?

I thought this article about the New York charter schools was interesting because more than one of the voters I have talked to said the same thing about charter schools here in Worcester.  The system, as I understand it, is set up so that the charter school will make more of a profit if they spend less of your child.  I know that some people think that an individual will make "better" decisions based on the child's needs than a large bureaucratic system.  In theory, it could be true that a bureaucratic system, if left unchecked, could have waste built-in.  Would you rather a big system or someone or some corporation making a profit by denying services to your child?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/nyregion/charter-school-sends-message-thrive-or-transfer.html

Consider Your Audience

Communication really is key.  A study about high blood pressure shows that health communication (read education), once tailored to the audience, really works!  It just so happens that I helped with this study in the design and execution.  Please follow this link to the New York Times article about the study. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/health/views/10chen.html  If you are interested in the original paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, you can follow this link http://www.annals.org/content/154/2/77/suppl/DC1 

This study compared health education that is not tailored, and the patients don't respond.  However, when you target the message to the audience, that is when the results occur!  I believe the same is true with parental communication from our schools.  IF we target the message so that it is framed in terms that the parent is both interested in and is appropriate to them specifically, then we can get greater parental involvement.  I am not delusional, and do realize that not every parent in both willing and able to actively participate in school activities.  However, we know from this study and others that targeting our message really works.

Vlog - Video Blog

I would like to begin posting comments about public schools in general and Worcester Schools specifically.  I you have a short clip (about 3 min) of your comments about publics schools, I'd love to feature them here.  I hear a lot of comments when I am out and about, I'd like to begin a dialog.  I didn't capture video today, but the two comments I heard most were that Worcester School Committee needs "new blood" and that we need people who can make do with the current financial allotment.  I'm a good listener, what do you think?

Why Worcester?

Many people ask, "why move to Worcester?"  My first response is usually "because of the medical school."  However, that is not the full story.  We could have chosen to stay in Alabama, or gone with offers from medical schools in New York, Virginia or California.  More than the state or region or the specific location of the the house we bought was the appeal if the area and city of Worcester.  Worcester has the right mix of city activities and small town friendliness.  I want to live in a comfortable city, and I think Worcester is it.