What if we just told APS to get lost and took over responsibility for our own community school. What if we decided conversion charters are NOT just for failing schools in dismal neighborhoods, but that we could use the same process to get the elementary school our kids deserve?
PROS:
No more APS scandals, excuses, delays, con-jobs, bureaucratese, "data-driven best practices," low-character superintendents, rampant nepotism, etc., etc.
Hire teachers and administrators who are directly accountable to the parent board
No obstacles to purchasing and implementing whatever technology is appropriate (see "How We Flunked the iPad Test," below).
Add electives we want (keyboarding class for all third graders & up!); sports, art, music, and all the other things APS keeps trying to cut.
Fire bad teachers sooner. Establish incentives to persuade great teachers to come here and stick around.
(Feel free to add your own items in comments).
CONS:
Have to manage every little detail (from lights to custodial to tech support to HR). Even if you hire someone good to manage the process (a real world-class principal, say, instead of a scandal-dogged Beverly Hall protege), you're going to have headaches aplenty.
Fighting APS for control of the curriculum (because they'll always be desperate to appear relevant).
Lingering guilt over abandoning the public education system (some of our more "progressive" parents seem to be unable to conquer this obstacle, which I think is silly. But we could compromise and agree to adopt a "sister school" in the public system and offer assistance).
(Again, if you can think of any CONS to add here, use the comments).
