PURE Reform was unable to attend this hearing. We did however speak at a later date with Sarah J. Martin about one of the proposed charter schools discussed at this hearing.

Ms. Martin is a retired PPS teacher and administrator. She worked for the PPS for 37 years. The project has a board of directors and funding through Imagine Schools, a non-profit that is involved with the environmental school in Regent Square. Her group, which is associated with the Imagine organization that sponsored the successful Environmental Charter School, is proposing a K-8 Charter school that will focus on:

1. same gender education-school will be coed but classrooms will be gender specific

2. major themes:

a. community service

b. leadership development

3. Each grade will have a theme (i.e. respecting elders, kindness to animals, environmentalism). Also, each grade will be linked with a community organization to serve as a mentor.

4. The school will have a strong parent/community piece. A given organization may mentor a particular grade whose theme is connected to that organization.

5. The group would like to purchase the Burgwin School Hazelwood, but the PPS School Board has stated that it will not sell PPS buildings to use as charter schools, which are viewed as competition to the PPS. There is a question as to whether this position is contrary to the intents and purposes of the statutes providing for charter school options.

While PURE Reform does not endorse or oppose charter schools, Ms. Martin is informed and passionate with a well thought out and interesting plan for meeting the needs of students that are traditionally underserved. She states that she has repeatedly brought her ideas to the district to no avail.