South Bronx Classical Charter School
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South Bronx Classical Charter School is a charter school in the Bronx borough of New York City. The school model is based on the best educational practices of charter schools throughout the nation. It was founded in September 2004 by Lester Long, a former investment banker and elementary school teacher.
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[edit] Early history
The Founder of South Bronx Classical Charter School, Lester Long, developed a Board of Directors, obtained petitions of parental and political support, and applied to both the New York City Department of Education and the New York State Board of Regents. On December 9, 2005, the Board of Regents voted unanimously to approve an application for a five-year charter for South Bronx Classical Charter School.
[edit] Founder
[edit] Lester Long
Lester Long is the founder of South Bronx Classical Charter School. Most recently, Mr. Long was a New York City Teaching Fellows in which he taught for four years. Prior to teaching, Mr. Long worked in the finance industry, specializing in structured finance and asset-backed securities at Lehman Brothers and Societe Generale. Mr. Long is also the Founder of the New York City Classical Guitar Society.
Mr. Long has also contributed $1,000 to Republican Ron Paul's campaign for the Presidency.
[edit] Students
South Bronx Classical is a free, public school open to all New York City students in grades K through 2. Each grade is limited to 70 students, limiting the total capacity of the school's six grades to 420 students. As of the 2007-2008 school year, the school had 206 students. Enrollment preference goes first to siblings of current or former students, then to students of New York City Public Schools, then to all other students.
[edit] Academics
Academically, the school offers a rigorous program with students taking reading, writing, mathematics, science, and history. In addition, South Bronx Classical offers character education and community service, in the spirit of delivering a classical education to its students. Annual standardized assessments will require students to articulate their understanding and mastery of each subject.
Currently, based on DIBELS and TerraNova assessments, roughly 70% of students are on grade level.
Despite the claims of rigor, the majority of the school day at South Bronx Classical Charter School is, in fact, dedicated to test prep practice for the Terra Nova exams. South Bronx Classical Charter School, tacks two weeks onto the beginning of the academic year - as well as taking a shorter spring break. “A lot of it is a function of getting the students in early so that we can be more prepared for city and state tests,” said South Bronx Classical’s Executive Director Lester Long of the choice to begin early instead of ending late.
Although administrators insist that they "do not teach to the test", curriculum for all grades focuses almost exclusively on test taking skills and skills covered by the Terra Nova exam as opposed to concepts taught through the prescribed "classical" curriculum. When asked this year what a classical curriculum was, Founder and Director Lester Long replied: "Classical comes from the Latin for Trumpet". There was no further elaboration provided by the Director. In fact, the etymology for the use of it appears to come from French. South Bronx Classical has abandoned the curriculum that it had initially started out with in its first year of Open Court, in favor of "guided reading", and Saxon Math, while still used in a cursory glance, is generally not used in class, as evidenced by the fact that the "Guided Class Practice" side of the work sheet is often blank so both sides of the sheet are done at home. Saxon has been discarded in favor of test preparation. The abandonment of the curriculum is at odds with South Bronx Classical's original Charter application. Materials for the core of the original curriculum, such as reading anthologies from Open Court, had been purchased far in advance for the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades but the practice of "guided reading" this past year did not utilize Open Court anthologies and materials. Visits to the school found students using "leveled books/libraries".
The use of the word "classical" to describe the school appears to be of nominal use only. The word trivium is not found in any documentation for the school. Visits to the school reveal that there is no evidence to suggest or support a curriculum steeped in the classics of Western Civilization. A strong characteristic of a classical education is the Socratic Method which teaches a child independent, critical thinking skills. The Founding Fathers of the American Revolution were thoroughly schooled in a classical education. The Socratic Method is totally absent from South Bronx Classical, as visits to the school indicate. A modern exponent of Socratic approach is found in the successful approach of educators such as Marva Collins on the South Side of Chicago. She opened up a successful private school in a ghetto neighborhood back in the mid-1970's and it continues to thrive today.
Random visits to the school have noted just such a practice. As recently as late March 2008/early April 2008, only two children were found to have passed Baseline and Interim Assessments for 2nd grade. These Baseline and Interim Assessments (prepared over the summer by numerous members of the staff--including administrators)reflect the old format of Terra Nova prior to 2008. Upon retaking the same exam where only two children scored on level, now only about 50% passed the test. It was at this point that the format of the Baseline and Interim Assessments for 2nd grade (prepared over the summer by numerous members of the staff--including administrators) was totally revamped. As word leaked out about Terra Nova changing its format to reflect NCLB, so too, coincidentally, did South Bronx Classical follow suit. Parents have noted the radical shift in the sheer quantity, repetition of work and the nature of the practice. Principal Hudnor boasts and claims credit that his previous experience at another Charter School in Brooklyn yielded results of 92% scoring on level (for ELA) and 100% scoring on level (for Mathematics). He has also left numerous children alone in rooms, as parental complaints explicitly indicate. He is noted for his short temper as well. On a related note to child safety, children have had to perform physical tasks as a consequence of misbehaving. One child had fractured her ankle in the morning at approximately 9:00 AM (in gym class)and the parent was not notified until 4 PM that afternoon. She had to walk around in crutches and be carried upstairs by the Director each day and down the stairs by her teacher.
Additionally, there has been evidence to indicate irregularities on past Terra Nova tests in that testing exceeded time limits imposed by the guidelines and practices of Terra Nova Other irregularities such as the reading of comprehension passages (during the test) and writing math answers (during the test) on the board have been observed. Scoring has been done on South Bronx Classical's Campus by various administrators. Finally, a majority scores from last year (June 2007) were not congruent when the children were re-tested on August 31, 2007 and again on September 10, 2007. There were a significant but limited amount of consistent test scores that carried over from June to August. Various (over 30)studies for a drop in standardized and nationally normed test scores, confirm that the range should only be about 2 tenths of a percentage point to at most 5 tenths of a percentage point. The dramatic decline of student performance at South Bronx Classical is perplexing. Dramatic declines continued throughout the term, particularly for the upper grades when children took their Baseline and Interim Assessments. There were a significant but limited amount of rise in test scores on the Baseline and Interim Assessments. It was strictly limited up to early December 2007. Statements for transparency by South Bronx Classical Charter School on this issue have been non-existent.
There is also evidence of the actual Terra Nova exams being on campus months before taking the final exams in mid-June. This was highlighted by last year's "practice test" given in Jan/Feb. This exam was taken "for the purpose of obtaining $1,000 per pupil if they participated". Results were never revealed. The "practice test" was the same one given by the school in June. The Terra Nova tests have been on campus for well over a month this year (2008)and there have been indications of questions being lifted off of the actual tests in preparation for the June test-date.
There has also been controversy with the DIBELS diagnostics. For example, last year most of the scores by January 2007 were dreadfully low. The Principal of the school had stated that "if scores did not improve, we will have a serious conversation about your jobs." By the following month of February 2007, scores dramatically rose to be on level for a majority of the students. The Director of the School noticed this shift and questioned it by advocating that testing ought to be done by different teachers for different classes or different grade teachers implementing the test. This was dismissed by a majority of the teachers but a few teachers did accept the proposal. It was never implemented, however. It was then suggested by the Director that outsiders oversee the diagnostics and added: "I have to tell my Board that these kids in the South Bronx are on a level that's on a par with kids from the upper east and west side." Only a few scant staff members objected to this assertion by stating that: "That kind of statement would never have been made if this school was not located in the South Bronx and minority children were involved."
South Bronx Classical is also noted for its high turn over rate amongst staff. In less than two years, more that 8 staff members have either left or were terminated. The first year of its opening consisted of 6 classroom teachers and eventually three teaching assistants. The staff currently (2008) consists of 9 teachers, three teaching assistants, a principal, a director, a dean of discipline and a Special Ed coordinator. Two male teachers were terminated this year. All of the employees who left were classroom teachers, special ed coordinators (both years)and a principal.
Virtually no class trips have been arranged or encouraged for the school year of 2007-2008 by the Director, Lester Long and the Principal, Scott Hudnor. In the first year of its existence, there were only a handful of trips for students to participate in. Parental complaints in this area have been met by the Administration with great resistance.
For the first year-and-a half, all monthly Board meetings had been advertised after they had occurred. Parents had continually protested such a practice from the opening of the school only to be met by silence. Beginning in January 2008, parents were allowed to participate due to excessive pressure on the parents' part. Attendance was high for the first meeting to discuss such matters, but since then, attendance has subsided. Parents have continually complained about poor communication from the school to the parents and the lack of information available in a timely manner.
[edit] Location
South Bronx Classical Charter School occupies three floors at 977 Fox Street in the Bronx. However, within the next two years, the school will move to its permanent facility.
[edit] Non-traditional schedule
South Bronx Classical offers an extended school day and extended school year. Classes are from 8am to 4:30pm, and the school year starts in mid-August.
