Autopsying Charter School

In the opening of a classic Law and Order episode, an innocent bystander walks by, notices something funny, and upon further inspection, finds a corpse buried in the trash. Soon, forensic scientists and detectives meticulously probe the body bit by bit and begin uncovering the history and events leading up to the demise of the corpse.

Parents and students of the DCPS are the innocent bystanders. They notice that there’s something just not right with the system. As of February, I was introduced to the “corpse” or DCPS’ ineffectiveness and began using my research and reasoning skills using works from scholarly authors or “forensic scientists” to uncover the realities of the DCPS.

Next Step charter school serves as a comparison model. Readings on DCPS can only extend so far. Yet, being part of the process, part of the inner workings of a school allows for greater insight. It’s like being moved from the nose bleed area to the front row in a game. Upon closer inspection, Next Step had smaller class sizes, clean facilities, and experienced teachers– a few factors that numerous articles in the Washington Post and scholarly journals have reported lacking in most DCPS schools. As a result, students are given a safe and attentive environment.