ASD Discounts Recommendations From Committee It Appointed

The ASD touted its new process for soliciting public input to inform its decision making process as it decides which 10 of 14 schools it will take over next year.

The ASD cautioned us that just because it had gone to the trouble of appointing a local committee to recommend matches between schools to be taken over and charter management organizations, that the ASD really would still make its own decisions.  When the ASD's Achievement Advisory Committee finally made its recommendations this week, the ASD gave a more concrete explanation of the AAC's role.  The ASD would give the AAC's recommendations 40% weight - weighed against what else, we don't know.  Sure would be interesting to know what the other 60% is . . .

So here are the AAC's recommendations:
Caldwell-Guthrie Elementary                Gestalt
Cherokee Elementary                             Aspire
Hanley Elementary                                 Aspire
Klondike Elementary                             Gestalt
Shannon Elementary                              KIPP
Corry Middle                                          KIPP

We now also have the ASD's actual decision when the ASD released its own matching decisions.  re's what the ASD has decided to do:
Whitney Elementary                   ASD (instead of Caldwell-Guthrie Elem.)
Georgian Hills Elementary         ASD (instead of Cherokee Elem.)
Hanley Elementary                    Aspire
Klondike Elementary                 Gestalt
Shannon Elementary                  KIPP
Corry Middle                             KIPP

Interesting.  But what exactly is going on here?  The ASD announcement came early, and only included six schools instead of ten.  Have the other schools been paroled?  Is another announcement forthcoming?  Has the ASD decided that ten schools was more than it could handle?  Is it responding to the local backlash against so many school takeovers?

We already know that the ASD has decided that, for one reason or another, the ASD has decided that Cornerstone Prep is not a good fit at this time.  Instead, KIPP Memphis is the favored charter management organization, receiving two schools from the ASD.  And instead of the two recommended by the AAC, both Aspire and Gestalt are only receiving one school each.  Aspire, in particular, was recruited by the ASD to expand from California into Tennessee.  It will be interesting to see how Aspire views receiving only one school . . .

The ASD also disagreed with its committee's recommendations as to which schools should be taken over.  Instead of taking over Caldwell-Guthrie and Cherokee Elementary Schools, the ASD has chosen itself to "turn around" Whitney and Georgian Hills Elementary Schools.

There's some interesting math here - so the ASD used 40% worth of the AAC's work, which resulted in adoption of 66% of the AAC's recommendations.  And not only did it not expand two of the charter management organizations to the extent recommended by the AAC, but surprisingly, the ASD decided that it would do a better job turning around schools than its recruited charter management organizations.

The ASD agreed with its AAC on two very important fronts, however.  I touched on both above - but the ASD accepted the AAC's recommendations to give two schools to KIPP Memphis and not give any schools to Cornerstone.

It's all very interesting, no?