Enviro-STEM School in Corbett and Small School Funding?

[www.corbettoregon.com]

At the February 19, 2014 Board Meeting there was an action item for the board to vote to submit the application for a new school in Corbett. The school would be an ENVIRO-STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program school. You can view and download the application below. The agenda item was under CURRICULUM. You can see the full agenda here: http://corbettoregon.com/forum/index.php?topic=811.0 )

5. 1. Application for STEM high school for 2014-2015 Action Item RESOLUTION NO. 107.2-14 - RESOLVED that the Board approve application to ODE and process authorizing the Corbett School District to have STEM high school for 2014-2015.
* The board tabled the vote until the March board meeting.


BELOW PDFS:
* 34935656.pdf (682.96 KB - Just the pages mentioning the charter kids.)
* 34935655-1.pdf (3602.76 KB - Full STEM application.)

[www.corbettoregon.com]

From: Bob Dunton <bdunton@corbettcharter.k12.or.us>
Date: February 22, 2014 at 9:16:20 AM PST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: When is STEM really CASH?

If you have been following the story, you have heard that  CSD proposed to create a new high school that they are calling a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) school.  STEM is good, which is why it's available in most every large district.  It's a crowd pleaser and takes attention away from low achievement.

But CSDs plan isn't just about STEM.  It's about a CASH school. How does it work?  Were Corbett School District simply to add our students to theirs at the high school level, their high school would become to large to keep receiving a well over a half million dollars each year in 'Small High School Funding' from the state.  So they are proposing a second high school in order to keep Corbett High School small (and wealthy).  If this sounds somewhat ethically suspect, well...

Not only does it look suspect, but this plan would create a new caste system of 'haves' and 'have nots' that would rival the differences between the Springdale Program and the current Corbett Elementary schools.  You don't hear much about those differences because Springdale has its own building that is out of the line of sight of the Corbett School.

My heart is heavy for those children and families that I have known since Kindergarten. What kind of education can one expect as the result of planning everything around profit margins?

I have a different vision for Corbett, and it includes the full and healthy operation of Corbett Charter School well into the future.  You can help to make that happen.  Being aware of CSD's priorities, ethics and strategies is a great start.

We know that we are all invested in making this work for all of the children of Corbett School District.  But aside from us, Who Cares?  It's time for a Who Cares campaign.

 I'm going to talk some about that in our next communication!

Cheers!



--
Regards,

Bob Dunton, Director
Corbett Charter School

[www.corbettoregon.com]

It's about a CASH school....their high school would become to (too) large to keep receiving a well over a half million dollars each year in 'Small High School Funding' from the state.  So they are proposing a second high school in order to keep Corbett High School small (and wealthy).  If this sounds somewhat ethically suspect, well...What kind of education can one expect as the result of planning everything around profit margins?

And just who started the "small school funding shell game" in Corbett?

Mr. Dunton was the superintendent of schools from 1998 until Randy took over after the Charter was established. CSD started reporting our 9th graders at the middle school starting in 2003. They do not attend the middle school. This was 5 or 6 years before Randy Trani was the Superintendent. There must be a legal loop hole for this. Maybe the same legal loop hole exists for the STEM school?

" A caste system of have and have nots?

Kind of like your Charter in the high school - where your 9th graders were given iPads - but our district kids were not? That kind of thing?

You can read more on small school funding and see how Corbett has reported our student numbers here:
http://corbettpost.com/csd/small-school-funding/

* If Corbett starts reporting all HS students (9-12) in the high school, where they actually attend, then we must stay below 350 students to continue receiving this funding. ( If we absorbed all Charter HS students today, we would have too many students.) If we create another school (like the Charter but this time it will be a STEM) this allows us to separate the numbers at the HS and continue receiving this funding.