Takeover set for 4 schools

• By WILL SENTELL
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: May 15, 2008 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Despite protests, two groups were picked Wednesday to run four public schools in Baton Rouge that were taken over by the state because of chronic problems.

A committee within the state’s top school board voted to:

• Designate the group 100 Black Men of Baton Rouge to run Capitol Pre-College Academy for Boys and Capitol Pre-College Academy for Girls starting this fall.
• Designate the group Advance Baton Rouge to run Prescott Middle School and Glen Oaks Middle School.

All four schools have been rated as academically unacceptable for at least four years. Prescott has carried that label for nine years.

All four will be run as charter schools, which are public schools that are supposed to offer innovative programs without much of the red tape that traditional public schools face. About 1,500 students attend the four schools.

Chas Roemer of Baton Rouge, a member of the state board, noted that both groups were recommended by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, in part to take politics out of the process.

Evaluators said 100 Black Men has a long history of ties to Baton Rouge.

They also said the organization understands school management, governance and budget issues.

The group plans to turn over day-to-day Capitol operations to Edison Schools, which helps operate charter and other schools in 19 states for about 285,000 students.

Dennis Blunt, president of the group, disputed parts of the written evaluation that said it was unclear exactly how the group planned to improve academics at Capitol.

“Academics by and large are improving at Capitol,” Blunt said after the meeting. “The significant issue is getting the kids to come to school.”

One of his group’s strengths, he said, “is motivating kids to do what they ought to do in order to achieve.”

But Janet Reed, executive director of a rival bidder called the Yes! Foundation, criticized the process that recommended 100 Black Men.

“What was done was not fair, it was not transparent and it is not in the best interest of the students,” Reed told the board committee.