Should the Armenian community of greater Los Angeles have an Armenian public charter school?
The greater Los Angeles community, inclusive of Orange County, currently hosts about eleven Armenian day schools which, in addition to fulfilling common educational requirements, teach Armenian language, culture, and history. Despite this seeming abundance the majority (estimates go as high as 95%) of ethnically Armenian students in this community are bypassing the Armenian educational system, with most attending public schools. While some public schools, notably those in Glendale, have offered single elective classes in Armenian language, the majority of these students have little or no exposure to their Armenian cultural heritage.
The reasons as to why these students, and ultimately their parents, have abandoned the Armenian educational system are quite diverse. No official inquiry exists as to why, but the reasons postulated range from perceived notions that Armenian schools are not academically rigorous to fear that a child will not integrate well into American society by attending an Armenian school. While these concerns may be valid, a persistent and undeniable issue also appears to be cost. In the end, public schools are “free.” While some Armenian educational societies and funds try to help families in need, the costs of providing an “Armenian education” to a whole generation of Armenian students here in America would require funds that are not readily available for most parents or organizations.
For financial support some parents have placed their faith in a school voucher program. School vouchers, if allowed, would give parents a set amount of money, a voucher, made available for each student to spend at a school of their choice within the guidelines set by the state. Armenian students then would be able to present their vouchers to Armenian-language/culture schools and would be able to attend at no cost. This seems an ideal situation. Yet the citizens of the state of California have tried to pass a voucher system by ballot measure without success, defeated by those who felt that certain districts and students would be dispossessed of quality education. It is unlikely that a viable voucher system will be a political reality any time soon in the state of California. Meanwhile a generation of ethnically Armenian students is denied any education about their cultural heritage.
One Armenian community in America faced this very issue yet saved their Armenian school. The A.G.B.U Alex and Marie Manoogian School in Southfield, Michigan had served the Armenian community of greater Detroit for over three decades as a private Armenian school. By 1995 it faced a situation that some Armenian schools in Los Angeles are slowly encountering today. Over the years the Armenian community of Detroit had moved away from the school, depriving the institution of its student base. In addition to the population decrease, funding the school had become a problem given decreased revenues. Rather than face closure, the Detroit Armenian community made the decision to convert their school to a public charter school, free for all, dedicated to teaching the Armenian language and culture.
Charter schools are essentially public schools, and as such must offer a free education to all students. A charter school, however, differs from a traditional public school in its degree of autonomy or freedom. A charter school operates on the basis of a charter or contract from the state or other agency authorized by the state to grant charters. The charter outlines the school's educational plan, student outcomes, and how these outcomes will be measured.
Charter schools are usually established by teachers, administrators, parents or any other entities who want to provide more choices and alternatives within the existing public school system. Teachers are often given complete control of their school's budget, staffing, teaching methods, and curriculum. In return for this autonomy, charter schools are held accountable for student performance. If a charter school cannot prove that its students are learning and benefiting from its programs, the sponsoring agency may refuse to renew the charter. Accountability through regulation and compliance is replaced by accountability for results.
The Detroit Armenian school board made some important decisions about how their school would function in the new charter school environment. Their first decision was not to make the entire school a public charter school. The pre-school was kept private with the understanding that those students were given preferential choice to attend the higher grades, which were in the public charter school. Students otherwise would be given space based on availability only if they agreed to the Armenian curriculum. After adapting to a charter system, the school reopened its doors to the public. The school reestablished its place in the Detroit community and succeeded in teaching another generation about Armenian language and culture.
Yet the Detroit experiment is the very reason some cite as to why a charter school is not right for the Armenian community here in Los Angeles. By accepting money from the state, and the Manoogian School in Southfield gets roughly $7000 per student enrolled, the school has to be held accountable to the state. While there is more control by the state compared to a private school, the charter school does have more autonomy than a traditional public school. While the details of these differences are important, the fact that the state may interfere in the affairs of the school concerns parents and Armenian organizations. As long as the charter school is able to prove that its charter (in this case Armenian language and culture) is beneficial for its students and is able to demonstrate the results, then the charter is allowed to stand.
Another concern about the Detroit school is that the state mandates that the charter school has to be non-sectarian. In other words, religion should not be taught outright at the school and so the Detroit school has had to do away with daily prayers and direct bible study during school hours. Yet the fact that Armenian history and the Armenian Church are inseparable, the school has not done away with the religious heritage that permeates the Armenian experience. Moreover, the church provides Sunday school for those students who wish to continue their religious studies.
Probably the most pervasive concern is the inclusion of odars or non-Armenians into the school. While non-Armenians have attended private Armenian schools here in Los Angeles, the number has usually been quite small. Armenian educational requirements along with the financial barrier of a private school probably limit the applicants. Since charter schools are funded by the state, the school has to open its doors to everyone in the community, much like every other public school. Of course those attending an Armenian charter school would have to agree to participate and satisfactorily pass Armenian language, culture, and history classes. In the Detroit charter school there is attendance by non-Armenians whose parents value the education at the school and agree to participate in Armenian instruction. Currently 65% of the school students have Armenian ancestry, with a student body in excess of 350 students and the majority of non-Armenians in the high school. This may relate to the fact that originally the school only offered a curriculum up to the eighth grade and more recently opened its high school. Nevertheless the Armenian curriculum has remained unchanged.
The inclusion of the odars in the Detroit school assures that there will be a generation of non-Armenians in the greater Detroit area who will know quite a bit about Armenians. It is very likely that people from this odar generation once reaching levels of influence in their communities, will look favorably upon Armenian issues, both locally and at large.
This integration with non-Armenians in the Detroit charter school has the potential to provoke anxiety among the populace here in Los Angeles, which might fear that an “invasion of the odars” would occur if such an experiment were repeated here. This tends to ignore that an “invasion of odars” has indeed already occurred here in Los Angeles. When the majority (estimates of 90-95%) of Armenian students forgo an Armenian education, the sense is that they are unwittingly lost among the odars. While some of these students attend Armenian classes on the weekends, it truly is not the same exposure or experience that a daily school would provide. The greater Detroit area has a community of 30,000 Armenians and is able to staff and sustain a school to teach their children about the Armenian language and culture. The greater Los Angeles community has been estimated to be about 250,000 Armenians. Considering that only 5% of Armenian school-aged children attend Armenian private schools, capturing at least another 5% in a charter school would double the number of students who are taught about their heritage. And if any odar was lucky enough to learn about Armenians, then the Armenian community will have benefited all the more.
Given that there is a fair number of private Armenian schools in the greater Los Angeles area, a concern has been abandonment by their students to a public charter school. While some students and parents may wish to leave a private school for financial reasons, the fact remains that the vast majority of Armenian students are currently attending public schools anyway and they probably will also try to enroll in such a charter school. Given the limited space of a single charter school it would be difficult to accommodate everyone, thus ensuring that the 5-10% capture rate that the current schools have achieved will be duplicated. In addition, Armenian private schools which are currently experiencing a decline in student enrollment due to population shifts and demographics may benefit from a public charter school program, which can prevent a complete shutdown such as the Detroit Armenian community avoided. Moreover, the success of a single charter school will undoubtedly encourage the establishment of additional Armenian public charter schools, thereby benefiting more and more of the total Armenian student population, which should be our ultimate goal.
Starting a charter school is a community event, not a solo one. The process is not simple. It may take some time, on average two years from inception. It requires a school district willing to sponsor a charter school and one dedicated to the teaching of Armenian language, culture, and history. It will also require a committed team of individuals with a variety of talents. It will also require appropriate funding. While some charter schools have been started with as little as $10,000, the average cost starting can be between $250,000 and $2.5 million. This is dependent on whether the school has to buy land, buildings, etc…. Once the school opens, the state and district will then fund the school according to the number of students it enrolls.
While these costs may seem high, the Armenian community of greater Los Angeles also has to acknowledge that the future of the community is uncertain if nothing is done. Given that the majority of ethnically Armenian students currently are bypassing an Armenian education, our collective Armenian identity is in jeopardy.
This cost is incalculable.
Comments to Armenians4CharterSchool@yahoo.com
The greater Los Angeles community, inclusive of Orange County, currently hosts about eleven Armenian day schools which, in addition to fulfilling common educational requirements, teach Armenian language, culture, and history. Despite this seeming abundance the majority (estimates go as high as 95%) of ethnically Armenian students in this community are bypassing the Armenian educational system, with most attending public schools. While some public schools, notably those in Glendale, have offered single elective classes in Armenian language, the majority of these students have little or no exposure to their Armenian cultural heritage.
The reasons as to why these students, and ultimately their parents, have abandoned the Armenian educational system are quite diverse. No official inquiry exists as to why, but the reasons postulated range from perceived notions that Armenian schools are not academically rigorous to fear that a child will not integrate well into American society by attending an Armenian school. While these concerns may be valid, a persistent and undeniable issue also appears to be cost. In the end, public schools are “free.” While some Armenian educational societies and funds try to help families in need, the costs of providing an “Armenian education” to a whole generation of Armenian students here in America would require funds that are not readily available for most parents or organizations.
For financial support some parents have placed their faith in a school voucher program. School vouchers, if allowed, would give parents a set amount of money, a voucher, made available for each student to spend at a school of their choice within the guidelines set by the state. Armenian students then would be able to present their vouchers to Armenian-language/culture schools and would be able to attend at no cost. This seems an ideal situation. Yet the citizens of the state of California have tried to pass a voucher system by ballot measure without success, defeated by those who felt that certain districts and students would be dispossessed of quality education. It is unlikely that a viable voucher system will be a political reality any time soon in the state of California. Meanwhile a generation of ethnically Armenian students is denied any education about their cultural heritage.
One Armenian community in America faced this very issue yet saved their Armenian school. The A.G.B.U Alex and Marie Manoogian School in Southfield, Michigan had served the Armenian community of greater Detroit for over three decades as a private Armenian school. By 1995 it faced a situation that some Armenian schools in Los Angeles are slowly encountering today. Over the years the Armenian community of Detroit had moved away from the school, depriving the institution of its student base. In addition to the population decrease, funding the school had become a problem given decreased revenues. Rather than face closure, the Detroit Armenian community made the decision to convert their school to a public charter school, free for all, dedicated to teaching the Armenian language and culture.
Charter schools are essentially public schools, and as such must offer a free education to all students. A charter school, however, differs from a traditional public school in its degree of autonomy or freedom. A charter school operates on the basis of a charter or contract from the state or other agency authorized by the state to grant charters. The charter outlines the school's educational plan, student outcomes, and how these outcomes will be measured.
Charter schools are usually established by teachers, administrators, parents or any other entities who want to provide more choices and alternatives within the existing public school system. Teachers are often given complete control of their school's budget, staffing, teaching methods, and curriculum. In return for this autonomy, charter schools are held accountable for student performance. If a charter school cannot prove that its students are learning and benefiting from its programs, the sponsoring agency may refuse to renew the charter. Accountability through regulation and compliance is replaced by accountability for results.
The Detroit Armenian school board made some important decisions about how their school would function in the new charter school environment. Their first decision was not to make the entire school a public charter school. The pre-school was kept private with the understanding that those students were given preferential choice to attend the higher grades, which were in the public charter school. Students otherwise would be given space based on availability only if they agreed to the Armenian curriculum. After adapting to a charter system, the school reopened its doors to the public. The school reestablished its place in the Detroit community and succeeded in teaching another generation about Armenian language and culture.
Yet the Detroit experiment is the very reason some cite as to why a charter school is not right for the Armenian community here in Los Angeles. By accepting money from the state, and the Manoogian School in Southfield gets roughly $7000 per student enrolled, the school has to be held accountable to the state. While there is more control by the state compared to a private school, the charter school does have more autonomy than a traditional public school. While the details of these differences are important, the fact that the state may interfere in the affairs of the school concerns parents and Armenian organizations. As long as the charter school is able to prove that its charter (in this case Armenian language and culture) is beneficial for its students and is able to demonstrate the results, then the charter is allowed to stand.
Another concern about the Detroit school is that the state mandates that the charter school has to be non-sectarian. In other words, religion should not be taught outright at the school and so the Detroit school has had to do away with daily prayers and direct bible study during school hours. Yet the fact that Armenian history and the Armenian Church are inseparable, the school has not done away with the religious heritage that permeates the Armenian experience. Moreover, the church provides Sunday school for those students who wish to continue their religious studies.
Probably the most pervasive concern is the inclusion of odars or non-Armenians into the school. While non-Armenians have attended private Armenian schools here in Los Angeles, the number has usually been quite small. Armenian educational requirements along with the financial barrier of a private school probably limit the applicants. Since charter schools are funded by the state, the school has to open its doors to everyone in the community, much like every other public school. Of course those attending an Armenian charter school would have to agree to participate and satisfactorily pass Armenian language, culture, and history classes. In the Detroit charter school there is attendance by non-Armenians whose parents value the education at the school and agree to participate in Armenian instruction. Currently 65% of the school students have Armenian ancestry, with a student body in excess of 350 students and the majority of non-Armenians in the high school. This may relate to the fact that originally the school only offered a curriculum up to the eighth grade and more recently opened its high school. Nevertheless the Armenian curriculum has remained unchanged.
The inclusion of the odars in the Detroit school assures that there will be a generation of non-Armenians in the greater Detroit area who will know quite a bit about Armenians. It is very likely that people from this odar generation once reaching levels of influence in their communities, will look favorably upon Armenian issues, both locally and at large.
This integration with non-Armenians in the Detroit charter school has the potential to provoke anxiety among the populace here in Los Angeles, which might fear that an “invasion of the odars” would occur if such an experiment were repeated here. This tends to ignore that an “invasion of odars” has indeed already occurred here in Los Angeles. When the majority (estimates of 90-95%) of Armenian students forgo an Armenian education, the sense is that they are unwittingly lost among the odars. While some of these students attend Armenian classes on the weekends, it truly is not the same exposure or experience that a daily school would provide. The greater Detroit area has a community of 30,000 Armenians and is able to staff and sustain a school to teach their children about the Armenian language and culture. The greater Los Angeles community has been estimated to be about 250,000 Armenians. Considering that only 5% of Armenian school-aged children attend Armenian private schools, capturing at least another 5% in a charter school would double the number of students who are taught about their heritage. And if any odar was lucky enough to learn about Armenians, then the Armenian community will have benefited all the more.
Given that there is a fair number of private Armenian schools in the greater Los Angeles area, a concern has been abandonment by their students to a public charter school. While some students and parents may wish to leave a private school for financial reasons, the fact remains that the vast majority of Armenian students are currently attending public schools anyway and they probably will also try to enroll in such a charter school. Given the limited space of a single charter school it would be difficult to accommodate everyone, thus ensuring that the 5-10% capture rate that the current schools have achieved will be duplicated. In addition, Armenian private schools which are currently experiencing a decline in student enrollment due to population shifts and demographics may benefit from a public charter school program, which can prevent a complete shutdown such as the Detroit Armenian community avoided. Moreover, the success of a single charter school will undoubtedly encourage the establishment of additional Armenian public charter schools, thereby benefiting more and more of the total Armenian student population, which should be our ultimate goal.
Starting a charter school is a community event, not a solo one. The process is not simple. It may take some time, on average two years from inception. It requires a school district willing to sponsor a charter school and one dedicated to the teaching of Armenian language, culture, and history. It will also require a committed team of individuals with a variety of talents. It will also require appropriate funding. While some charter schools have been started with as little as $10,000, the average cost starting can be between $250,000 and $2.5 million. This is dependent on whether the school has to buy land, buildings, etc…. Once the school opens, the state and district will then fund the school according to the number of students it enrolls.
While these costs may seem high, the Armenian community of greater Los Angeles also has to acknowledge that the future of the community is uncertain if nothing is done. Given that the majority of ethnically Armenian students currently are bypassing an Armenian education, our collective Armenian identity is in jeopardy.
This cost is incalculable.
Comments to Armenians4CharterSchool@yahoo.com
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