Thursday, October 24, 2013, 5:30 pm

Following presentations by Little Rock School District Attorney Chris Heller and Associate Superintendent Dennis Glasgow, the following is the transcript of all board discussion on the application of Quest Middle School of West Little Rock.

Mr. Adams: Mr. Glasgow, the Responsive Ed organization, is that a for-profit or nonprofit organization.

Mr. Glasgow: I do not know. I’m assuming it’s for profit, but I don’t know that for sure.

[Note: Only nonprofits may operate charter schools in Arkansas.]

President Curry: So, the district’s recommendation?

Dr. Suggs: It is the district recommendation that we do not support this application, due to the fact that we do not feel that it will provide any above-and-beyond academic qualifications or academic initiatives than what we are initiating in the Little Rock School District.

President Curry: Thank you. Do I have a motion?

Ms. Johnson: I move that we do not accept the Quest application for a charter school.

Rev. McAdoo: Second.

President Curry: Okay, it’s been moved and seconded that we do not accept or approve the application for the Quest school. Questions? Board members? Mr. Adams.

Mr. Adams: I at least want to make a few comments about that. [unintelligible]

Rev. McAdoo: I call for the question.

President Curry: I did.

Rev. McAdoo: I did. I, that’s what I’m sayin’.

[After a two-minute discussion on rules of order, Mr. Adams continued.]

Mr. Adams: Thank you. I appreciate the board’s willingness to allow comment. And I, but I felt like that comment is appropriate. In the past week, I’ve had no more email communication on this issue than any issue in recent memory. And I feel like that the, that those citizens who have been reaching out and advocating deserve some explanation for my vote.

I am going to vote to not support, to agree with the motion, to not support this application. And I think this is one of those situations where we have, a situation where you have people who, with honor and good intent, who disagree and can disagree honorably. And a couple of reasons that I think the explanation needs to be there. One is that, my understanding of the proposal is based on the assumption that, at least from the communication that I have been receiving from concerned citizens, is on the assumption that the present middle schools that we have are not sufficient, and that somebody cannot have a good, quality experience there. And I disagree with that. I’ve had that experience in my own family, and I think there have been hundreds of students in the past several years who have gone through our middle schools, and they are the ones that we celebrate in our high schools being graduating with honor, and most of those students have come through out middle schools. I’m not quite sure why the experience of those students does not seem to have much sway in the consideration in our middle school discussions, but that seems to be the case.

I’m also persuaded that the assumptions that this charter school would be excellent or superior are at least questionable, based on the information Mr. Glasgow gave and based on the research that I have seen over the years that suggest that most charter schools perform equal or a little less than the traditional schools.

The other thing that I would want to comment on is that there is some of communications that I have heard expressed some dismay that we were not moving to try to improve our middle school situation with a sense of urgency, and I would disagree.

I think if we looked at our situation right now, that we see several things. One is that we see that, in our middle schools last year, we initiated some very significant reforms that we are continuing to revise and improve. I think that we see that we are hopefully going to vote tonight to close, to purchase the land that we decided to purchase in April, and we have going to be also encountering this new facilities study so that we know the kind of the school that we need to provide there and all the other facilities around the district and make good decisions.

And we also have two committees right now that are exploring two new schools that would affect our middle school picture if approved. And so I think the idea that we are complacent in the middle school area, I would disagree with vigorously. And I, and for those reasons, that I would support the motion.

President Curry: All right. All in, anyone else? All in…

Rev. McAdoo: Call for question.

President Curry: All in favor?[The board voted unanimously for the motion.]