All-male Madison charter school a tough sell

School District and School Board members expressed interest in the concept, though they're still waiting for more details, especially a financial plan.

"I don't want more charter schools simply for the sake of having more charter schools," board member Ed Hughes said. "It (has to be for) something we would have a hard time achieving or even attempting under a traditional structure."

Madison hasn't approved as many charter schools as other parts of the state. Of the 208 public charter schools in Wisconsin, only two are in Madison, though on Nov. 29 the School Board is expected to approve a third - an urban-agriculture-themed middle school south of the Beltline near Rimrock Road.

The biggest hurdle, however, might involve a proposal to use non-union teachers employed by the charter school's governing board, as opposed to the School District. Only 21 of the state's public charter schools have a similar setup.

John Matthews, executive director of Madison Teachers Inc., said teachers would oppose a non-union charter school.

"It would be foolish public policy and a foolish commitment of the public's funds to finance a project over which the elected body committing the public's money does not have full control over both the expenditures and the policies of the operation," Matthews wrote in an e-mail.

Caire wants the school year to span 215 days, rather than the standard 180 days, and the school day to run from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Perhaps Kaleem's initiative will work with a neighborhing school district. Watch an interview with Kaleem Caire here. Much more on the proposed Madison Preparatory Academy here.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at November 2, 2010 10:59 AM
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