Charter schools decry denial of exemption

Charter school officials are decrying the latest action of the State Board of Education, saying they are tired of roadblocks to charter schools' goal to be unique.

The board unanimously denied a request last week from John Hancock Charter School in Pleasant Grove to be exempt from the state's school counselor policy.

"If charter schools want to be schools they have to abide by the rules. They need to do what the other schools do," said board member Denis Morrill.

It may seem like a tiny issue, but some charter school proponents see the board's vote as another example of stifling charter schools. They are frustrated, saying the restrictions make charter schools be just like school districts — exactly what they are trying to be different from.

"They're pushing us inside a box. That's not who we are," said Julie Adamic, director of John Hancock Charter School.

State Charter School Board President Brian Allen agrees.

"We have too many rules and not enough flexibility for our schools," he said. "There is no one right way to educate children."

But state board members say if charter schools want to be official education entities, they need to abide by state regulations.

The board approved in January a ratio of one counselor for every 350 junior high and high school students. Currently some schools have a counselor-to-student ratio of 1-to-600. School districts and charter schools are to submit plans detailing how they will work toward that goal.

Board member Carol Murphy said, "I don't see a good reason not to have a counselor." She added there may be other ways for John Hancock to meet the rule, such as getting one of the school's teachers certified to be a counselor.

John Hancock is a K-8 school with 20 students per class. The state requirement applies to seventh grade and up, so that would be 40 students. To meet the state-required 1-to-350 ratio, the school would have to hire one-ninth of a school counselor, Adamic said.

The teachers at John Hancock are filling the role of counselors — even doing home visits to talk with students and parents, Adamic said. "We feel we are meeting the needs of our students, just not in the traditional way," she said.