Is Matthew Wilder the Superintendent?  Where is she? She has mysteriously disappeared from public view? It would be more appropriate if she had something to say about this, not the spokesperson for the schools....the saga continues.

There's a reason the school's current principal says “All I want is someone to hold [Unlocking Potential] account­able for keeping all of the kids there,” “All I want is someone to hold [Unlocking Potential] account­able for keeping all of the kids there." The word is that UP lost a large fraction of its students last year.  So its MCAS scores looked good, but by MCAS time in the spring, a lot of the students who started the year at the South Boston school were no longer there.  That's the talk inside the school system.    This phenomenon should be investigated by the city and perhaps by the state.  Charter schools should have to keep the students they admit, the way other schools do.

"The company retained 85% of students at the Gavin after it took over."

But no data showing how many were subsequently pushed out.  And why isn't it being reported that students who touch their face during class time are disciplined? 

At the Gavin, first thing UP Academy did was to turn over the running of its Severe Sped program to the Murphy school, which manages from afar. Figure out why UP did that, and you'll figure out how charters operate.

You don't suppose that if needed repairs and upgrades were made to the building, and you let the adminstration and teachers decide who gets to attend, subsequent test scores might improve?  I can't believe after all this time, the relative failure of the charter school concept has not put this baby to rest.   Of course, in comparing previous test scores to scores after it is converted to a charter school is not a valid comparison.  You aren't measuring the test scores of the same students.  Meaningless statistic.

It is unbelievable that this decision has been made without any input from the parents.  Once again, the BPS has shown no respect to the parents of students in the underperforming schools!  After all, the word in the streets of South Boston is that there were over 200 students "removed" or encouraged to "transfer" from UP Academy last year.  I agree that we need to see the data from this school in particular as to how many students who started at UP are still enrolled.  Public schools should not be allowed to hand pick their student body in order to raise test scores.  This is the best kept secret of the BPS.   The BPS needs to service all of their students not just those who have good behavior or are motivated academically.  Why aren't we seeing an increase in alternative services for students who are not doing well?  My supposition is that they aren't worth the effort in the minds of those in charge of the BPS.  Shame on them.

Matt Wilder, representing what's left of the Court Street gang that couldn't shoot straight, is aiming again!  Why?  What I have learned about "UP" Academy Charter School, which is now squatting in the Gavin building, is nothing to be excited about.  Special Ed parents take note, rumor has it that the Gavin's multi-handicapped class is still in the Gavin Building, but on the Murphy School rolls!  UP Academy refused to take these students, even though they were supposed to take ALL Gavin students, because they would reflect poorly on UP’s MCAS scores!  Is BPS "Department of Strategic Planning" setting up the Murphy School, so its scores will plummet, making it ripe for "turnaround" next? 

     Now according to the MA Department of Education, UP Academy has 57.5 Staff members.  Of these 27, are under 26 years of age, 21 are between 26-32, and 9.5 are between 33-40 years old.  There are no staff members over 40!  Out of 4,100 teachers who applied for 60 positions in UP Academy's first year, they couldn't find 1 teacher who was over 40! If this isn't a clear case of age discrimination, I do not know what is!         

     Speaking of discrimination, in a school with 228 African American students and 151 Hispanic students, you would have thought that UP Academy would have diversified their teaching population, to reflect that of their student population!  Especially when you consider that Boston Public Schools is under a Federal Court Order to diversify!  According to their 2011 IRS 990, UP spent $84,722 on "recruiting."  Out of the 4,100 applicants who applied for 60 positions, Up Academy hired 43.5 white, 8 African American, 4 Hispanic, and 2 Asians! Did UP Academy choose to ignore that Federal Court Order to diversify?  Did they think that it didn’t apply to them?  Or did Dr. Johnson forget to mention it?

     Parents and community stakeholders have many unanswered questions about Up Academy at the Gavin before it is allowed to open another school in our district, these questions need to be answered. The Boston School Committee has its hands full with the neighborhood redistricting plans.  The Boston School Committee would be wise to put this plan, to turn the Marshall school into Charter school, on hold!  

Watch  shocking testimony from Teresa Harvey-Jackson, principal of Marshall Elementary School,  regarding  proposal  to turn the Marshall Elementary School into an In District Charter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV3vvJwoXW8&feature=channel&list=UL