Archive for the ‘e-21’ Category
Multiple Pathways to Where?
Yesterday, the District announced it’s second phase of high school redesign in the “e21” reform effort which began in 2000.
Multiple Pathways is an interesting concept (in theory) but major questions remain about the success of the ongoing effort. Outlined in today’s Sacramento Bee article, the current small high schools are struggling with declining enrollment and dropouts.
Is the current failure a “steep learning curve” as President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg described it at yesterday’s announcement at the Serna Center or is “e-21” simply a failure? Period.
The Recruits Have Graduated
SCUSD’s manufactured panic surrounding the budget ignores one glaring fact…E-21 (or the small schools’ initiative) is bleeding the District financially dry.
Staff recommends a continued hands-off approach to most of the six small high schools citing that the majority of them are still in the “recruitment phase” of enrollment. Genesis High School is not included in this criteria and is scheduled for closure.
How long does recruitment last? Apparently more than five years….
A cross-section of analysis reveals interesting numbers. According to SCUSD’s current accountability reports, expenditure per pupil at McClatchy High School was $4,895 or 8.7% less than the District’s average. Kennedy High School’s ($4,509) and West Campus’ ($4,895) per pupil cost out much lower than the Met’s $5,532 (17.8% over the average), New Tech’s $6,050, Genesis’s $6,435 and George Washington Carver’s whopping $8,133 per student (73.2% over the average — nearly double the cost of McClatchy).
Before proposed budget cuts throw lives into turmoil and before neighborhood elementary schools close, the SCUSD Board should first take a look at the costly experiment with small, specialized high schools under the E-21 umbrella.
Further reading:
District analysis of small high schools (page 3)
District recommendations for budget savings
Post a comment directly to SCUSD about e-21
Follow this link to comment to SCUSD about the e-21 High School Redesign.
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