WEST END ATLANTA

Kathleen, I am dont think my questions were answered.

1) How are students eval if no tests are given
2) Is there somewhere else we can go to find out about the school without going to the website

Hi cubana,
I'm sorry you were under the impression that there will be no exam-taking at Kindezi School. That is false. As a charter school Kindezi School will be subject to No Child Left Behind. Therefore, our students will be tested as much as students in traditional schools. Those tests include the CRCT, ITBS, the Georgia Writing Assessment, and more.

There is nowhere on-line you can do to find out more about the school other than our website. However, I'd be happy to send you more information. There is a 10 page summary of our charter school petition and then there is the petition itself which is over 200 pages. If you'd like me to send me those please just e-mail me at deanleeper@kindezi.org and I'll reply with those documents attached.
Dean

Hi Dean,

Thanks for your answer. I was wondering about financing your operation because I know that your school is going to be tuition-free. How is it going to be financed then? Do you have any commitments from any corporations or foundations to support you?
I am new to the idea of charter schools but I have heard a lot of positive things about them.
Thanks,

Ewelina

Ewelina,

This is great question and thank you for answering me other question. I have signed the petition.

Hi Ewelina,
Charter schools are financed in basically the same way that public schools are financed. Most of our revenue comes from Atlanta property taxes and slightly less than half comes from the Georgia tax revenues. We do not have any strong relationships with any corporations.
We should receive over $10,000 per student.

To clarify on something Kathleen wrote earlier, I will be at the NPU meeting tonight but I haven't been invited to present. I'd be happy and eager to speak with people individually who have questions though.
Dean

Dean,

Is your project sustainable only based on financing from city taxes and Georgia tax revenue or you will have to go out and look for donations? I guess, you will welcome any donations - am I right?

I guess, my question is, will you be able to start and thrive just on government financing?
How does your financing relates to public schools in the area?


Thank you

Start up financing is available through the federal government. We will receive a $400,000 federal implementation grant. That will allow us to purchase furniture, hire staff during the pre-operational year, purchase books, etc. We will also apply for foundation grants and individual donations. You're right, we will always eagerly accept donations.
Our five year budget does not project that we will be very successful at fundraising. Yet it is a sustainable budget.

I'm not sure what you mean by "How does your financing relate to public schools in the area." If you are wondering whether our presence will reduce funding for local public schools I would say this: with just 24 students per grade, we will be a pretty small school. We will not noticeably affect the financial landscape of APS by ourselves. It is true, however, that any family that chooses Kindezi School over a traditional public school would reduce funding for the public school they would have attended. However, any family that chooses Kindezi School over a private school actually increases money and support for public education, since Kindezi School will be a public school. I argue that since the families are paying the taxes to support education, they should have a say in how that money is spent. Charter schools give them some control over that money by offering choices.

Yes I am going to say it, is this another school that is going to teach our youth to be starving artists. I want these kids to be given skills that will make them productive citizents of society. Yes I know that art is good for learning at an early age but later in the education process I am swayed against teaching art and more toward real life marketable skills. These are my thoughts and I welcome all of yours. I just ask that you bring it on with facts, studies and rational. I can be swayed in favor of this school if I can be convinced. I must admit though that the government schools in Atlanta are a failure. When the drop out rate for blacks is 50% all people should be up in arms. I was appauled to hear that the number of prison cells needed is figured out by the number of 3rd graders that do not know how to read. These children need to be given a chance to live productive lives. Get involved in the pta or make sure that this schoool or any school that is looking to open up in our area is looking out for the childrens best interest and not in getting grant money from the government or money for non profits that act only as a vehicles for getting more money for their teachers. Don't get me wrong, I am not accusing this school in doing this but I also am not telling any one to question the motivations to do so. Why not is Buckhead, midtown or east atlanta?
I may be negative but I am so mad that children are constantly being used as pawns by politicians to collect taxes and then do something else with the money. I believe thAT the TAD would have froze Property taxes and then used any increase in the taxes to go toward the Beltline project for a number of years. There would have been 880 million dollars taken away from the schools to fund the beltline. Don't get me wrong, at this point I would be in favor of giving the money to the beltline and not to the ineffective, criminal producing government schoool system. Stop crying everyone I did not say everyone or all but it is a very big percentage.
I could rant and rave but I will look forward to defending my viewpoints and I will graciously admit where I have been factually wrong. I welcome your feed back with out resentment. Win me over and set me straight.