Rich Perlberg: Editorial
January 22, 2006
Livingston Press & Argus
Last week, we ran a story on James Perry, the principal of Kensington Woods High School, a 212-student high school in Genoa Township that was formerly named the Livingston Technical Academy.
The school has grown into a quiet success story, even though it had a rather stormy beginning as the first charter school in Livingston County and one of the first in the state.
Charter schools, a favorite of former Gov. John Engler, were designed as a competitive alternative to traditional public schools. The idea was that they would be more creative than schools burdened by bureaucracy and by teachers' unions, a frequent thorn in Engler's side.
As a bonus for parents, there is no cost to attend charter schools since the state aid follows students to their charter schools, much like the way some would want vouchers to work in private schools.
As such, traditional schools frequently viewed charter schools with derision and suspicion, fearing they were a threat to their funding and an attack on their teachers.
It was a worthy concern, but some school leaders went too far and privately criticized the caliber of students attending the academy, apparently forgetting that these students were products of their own school systems.
Time has passed and the five major public school systems in the county have more to worry about than a tiny charter school that even Perry calls the best-kept secret in the area.
The mission of the school has changed, as well, moving away from its manufacturing theme. Now it's more of a viable option for students who might prosper in a small, intimate school.
It's a nice story that's ended far differently than those first involved in the school could have envisioned.