The school choice and charter school
movements have taken it on the nose in recent discussions related to
reformation efforts in the Charleston County School District. A great many conversations have been
generated following the publication of the Post and Courier’s recent series on
school choice. While most of the
attention has focused on the unintended consequences to some area schools, we
need to balance the conversation and not lose sight of the positive impact that
school choice has had across Charleston County.
The need
for greater diversity in the downtown schools is a common thread heard at each
Charleston County Board of Trustees Meeting.
While everyone embraces the concept, little headway has been made to
ensure that district schools reflect their surrounding neighborhoods. While a principal in a traditional public
school, I came to view public charter schools as somewhat an enemy of public
education. Today, as I begin my second
year at the helm of a successful charter school, I have come to recognize that
charters are not the problem, but rather an important part of the solution to
fixing what is troubling the public schools.
Can they help address the issues facing downtown schools in CCSD? We believe they can. Our charter is successfully making inroads to
help reknit the social fabric in this city we so proudly call home.
Carolina Voyager Charter School, located
downtown at 30 Race Street, is offering school choice to a diverse group of 130
children and their families, many of whom have had few choices in the past for
their children’s education. Located in
the same downtown zip code as the district’s schools with the highest
percentage of minority students, Voyager’s student body is one of only nine
CCSD schools (out of a total of 84 schools) that come close to mirroring the
demographics of the school district. Our
current student population is 48% White, 40% African American, and 6% Hispanic.
Over 40% of our children qualify for
free or reduced lunches. While our
students come from all over Charleston County, nearly half reside in downtown
or in North Charleston neighborhoods.
Our parents come from all walks of life; single parents struggling on
public assistance, doctors and nurses, street sweepers and sanitation workers, law
enforcement and firefighters, account executives, and restaurant and
hospitality workers. Our children are
learning to participate and contribute effectively in an environment that
reflects the society in which they will need to grow and prosper in their
future lives.
In our first year of operation,
significant growth in student achievement was recorded in both and reading and
math. The overwhelming majority of our
students exceeded one year’s growth in their reading skills as measured by the
Fountas and Pinnell Reading Benchmark Assessment. Students reading on or above grade level in
Kindergarten increased from 25% in the fall to 71% in the spring. In First Grade, students meeting or exceeding
expectations for reading increased from 16% to 74% over the course of the
year. The percentage of second graders
reading on or above grade level increased from 64% to 85% from the fall to the spring. In Math, Student Growth Percentile Scores on
the STAR assessments exceeded expectations in all three grades.
In addition to the pride we feel about
our students’ achievements, we are proud of our diversity and our sense of
community. They provide me with daily
reminders of the feelings of unity and togetherness that followed the tragedy
at Mother Emmanuel. Unraveling
segregation in our schools is no simple task.
No one single approach will work.
There are islands of hope and promise right in the midst of our
community. Our charter school is one
such place. Readers can learn more about
Carolina Voyager by visiting our website at http://www.carolinavoyagercharterschool.org/
or our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/CarolinaVoyagerCharterSchool?ref=hl. I also invite interested readers to call the
school at (843) 203-3891 to arrange a tour.
Harry Walker, Ed.D
Founding School Leader
Carolina Voyager Charter School
