American Indian Model Schools
Encyclopedia
American Indian Model Schools (AIM Schools) is a charter school system with its headquarters in Oakland, California
.
It includes American Indian Public Charter School (AICPS), a 5th grade-8th grade school, American Indian Public Charter School II (AIPCS II), a fifth grade through eighth grade school, and American Indian Public High School (AIPHS), a high school (9-12). The school system has two campuses: the main campus in the Laurel area, and the AICPS II campus. AIPHS students also may take select classes at Merritt College
.
The school's administration opposed to U.S. liberal
philosophies, and it promotes free-market capitalism. Beginning in its founding in 1996, AICPS had poor academic performance until 2000, when Ben Chavis became the head of the school. Under Chavis the test scores increased, the student demographics changed, and the AIM system opened two additional charter schools. The school received praise for its academic performance, while Chavis's discipline system received criticism.
The Oakland Unified School District
(OUSD) granted the charter to the school system and oversees the operations of the school system. The American Indian school system has its own school board and maintains its own internal policies.
students in the Oakland, California
area improve their academic performance; historically Native Americans had low academic performances. Martin Waukazoo, the executive director of the Native American Health Center, was one of the founders of the school. Shortly after the establishment of the school, Waukazoo withdrew his involvement because he believed it put too much emphasis on Native American cultural classes and not enough emphasis on basic educational skills. After its founding, the school had a high staff turnover rate and insufficient funds for textbooks and computers. In 2000 the Oakland Unified School District
(OUSD) considered closing the school. Nanette Asimov of the San Francisco Chronicle
said that the school, which had 37 students, was "sinking fast," could not keep its students, and did not have "viable test scores."
Evelyn Lamenti, an employee of the OUSD Office of Indian Education, decided to ask Ben Chavis, a Lumbee
Native American, to become the head of the school. At the time Chavis had an education job at the University of Arizona
. Lamenti knew Chavis when he taught at San Francisco State University
. Lamenti believed that he would do a good job since he had a background in education, and interest in charter schools, and a knowledge of children living in inner city American communities.
In 2000 Chavis became the head of the school, four years after the school began. Chavis took the job as a favor for other native Americans. Chavis fired most of the school's employees and eliminated the Native American cultural classes. Chavis said that he recruited new teachers who had "strong" academic backgrounds and "didn't see the students as victims, even though their lives often are incredibly difficult." By 2001 one faculty member, the coordinator of the "Math, Engineering, Science, and Achievement" program, remained from the pre-Chavis era.
By 2002 the school's enrollment tripled and its test scores were increasing.
In September 2006 the American Indian Charter High School opened.
In 2007 AICPS became the first public school in Oakland to win the National Blue Ribbon Award.
In March 2007, a professor and several students from Mills College
in Oakland scheduled an appointment with the administration. One student was late to the appointment, by fifteen minutes. The professor, Sabrina Zirkel, and four of the graduate students accused him of calling the student who was late, 25-year old Unity Lewis, an African-American, "a fucking black minority punk." They said that Chavis called the student a "worthless piece of shit" and, in the words of Robert Gammon of the East Bay Express
, "screamed that he was going to kick the grad student's ass." Chavis said that he told Lewis that he "a dumbass minority" who was "an embarrassment to his race." Chavis said that he did not threaten to "kick" the student. He said "What I said was, 'You're going to look funny if you jump me and a sixty-year-old man kicks your ass.' " and that he did not call Lewis "a fucking black minority punk."
As a result of this incident and prior incidents, OUSD officials asked the AIM governing board to pressure Chavis to act in a different manner. In response, the AIM board gave Chavis a $700 dollar fine. Kirsten Vital, an OUSD accountability head, said that it was not likely to correct the issue leading to the Mills incident.
On March 15, 2007, Chavis told the AIM school board that he was leaving his post. The minutes of the board meeting stated that Chavis would remain as a part-time employee. Chavis said that he was not going to remain an employee and planned to go back to Arizona. Chavis said that he was not leaving because of the Mills incident, and that he planned to leave during that time regardless of the Mills incident. Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles Times
said in 2009 that Chavis "remains a presence at the school." The website refers to Chavis as an "advisor emeritus." Janet Roberts, a former teacher, succeeded Chavis as the head of the school system. Roberts said that once Chavis resigned, critics have not voiced objections to the school anymore. She said, in the words of Katy Murphy of the Oakland Tribune, "Many assumed that the academic success of the American Indian schools was personality-driven[...] but the program didn't lose its edge after Chavis left."
On Tuesday, June 2, 2009 the first class of AIPHS, consisting of 18 students, graduated.
The school system has two campuses. The original American Indian Public Charter School and the main campus of American Indian High School occupy a converted church located off of MacArthur Boulevard, in the Laurel area of Oakland. AIPCS II is located on another campus in Chinatown. Students at AIPHS who attend dual credit classes with Merritt College
attend some classes at the Merritt campus.
In 2007 AICPS II shared a campus with Oakland Charter Academies (now Amethod Public Schools
). AICPS II caters to students living in Chinatown and the Lake Merritt
area. AICPS also admits students living in other areas of Oakland. The school states that it will consider the applications of students who live outside of Oakland.
of Mother Jones
said "[...]AIPC is a super-strict, teach-to-the-test, no goofing off kind of place that apparently gets good results."
The school system often fires teachers that it considers to be low performing.
As of 2001 the American Indian Model School did not give out free school lunches. Ben Chavis said this is because "[y]ou've got to give them some responsibilities."
In the pre-Chavis era school began at 9:30 AM. Chavis said this was so "because they said Indians couldn't get up early." In the pre-Chavis era the school provided smoking breaks.
said that the AIM students "are subject to disciplinary procedures redolent of military school." At AIMS schools students who are late to class, do not complete homework, or violate the dress code automatically receive detention. A student who misbehaves once in a week receives one after school detention lasting one hour. A student who misbehaves again in the same week will receive another after school detention and a four hour Saturday detention. Landsberg said that by the time students become eighth graders, "discipline is not really an issue. Classes are preternaturally quiet and focused. Visitors may be startled to notice that students do not so much as glance at them. They have been told to keep their attention on their work. They do as they are told."
said "Chavis' boorish behavior has been tolerated because of his school's incredible test scores." During the Chavis era, students who repeatedly violated rules were humiliated by Chavis or by teachers. The administration often used namecalling, stereotypes, and profanities against students. Some students were forced to hold signs that insulted the students. After a student was accused of stealing, Chavis secured permission from the boy's parents to have his hair cut off. Chavis shaved the student's head in front of the entire school. In the Chavis era, some critics opposed some disciplinary practices.
Kirsten Vital, an accountability head of the Oakland Unified School District
, said in a latter to the AIM governing board dated on July 9, 2007 said that, during a visit to the American Indian Public Charter School in June 2007, she witnessed, in the words of Nanette Asimov of the San Francisco Chronicle
, "incidents bordering on educational malpractice, and that came close to child endangerment." Vital cited Chavis using the words "darkies" and "whities" to refer to racial and ethnic backgrounds in front of students, Chavis referring to a former employee as a "white b --" while in the presence of students, and the school forcing a girl to clean a restroom for boys as a punishment for bad behavior.
A poster in the school hallway included a quote from Chavis, saying "You do outstanding things here and you'll be treated outstanding. You act like a fool and you'll be treated like one." Landsberg said in 2009 that the concept is still active at AIMS schools, but had been "toned down" since Chavis left his post as head of the system.
philosophies, and it promotes free-market capitalism. The school administration opposes teacher's unions. Mitchell Landsberg said that the AIM system schools "sometimes seem like creations of television's "Colbert Report" and that the AIM system schools "mock liberal orthodoxy with such zeal that it can seem like a parody." American conservatives have praised the AIM Schools. For instance George Will
stated that he was in favor of the school system since it could form a "new paternalism" that could close achievement gaps between socioeconomic classes.
s. Students wear white shirts and dark-colored trousers. The school does not permit students to wear makeup, jewelry, or brightly-colored hair accessories.
. The next largest ethnic groups were African Americans and Hispanic Americans. During that year almost all of the students were low income.
Of the high school students who graduated in 2009, all planned to attend colleges and universities in the fall of that year. Ten students planned to attend various University of California System campuses. One planned to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. One planned to attend Cornell University
.
In 2005 Ben Chavis said that the target demographic of the AIPCS was "ghetto, poor kids." During that year about 75% of the students qualified for free or reduced lunch programs.
In 2000 the school had a 62% Native American
student body. In 2001 the school had about 100 students. 52% of the students were Native American. According to Chavis, during that year 12-15 percent of the children were homeless. During the same year he said that some students had been expelled from other schools for because they carried knives on their persons. Since Chavis became the head of the school, the Native American population decreased. In 2005 20% of the students were Native American. In 2006 the percentage of Native Americans was over 13%. By that year the school began to receive many Asian Americans from Laurel.
, "self-confident" and "mature."
In 2005 American Indian Public Charter School had seven teachers. The student teacher ratio was 25 to one. Most of the teachers had ages in the twenties. Most of them graduated from prestigious universities. During that year Ben Chavis said that the few teachers who are not credentialed were enrolled in credentialing programs.
As of 2005 AIPCS paid each first year teacher an annual salary of $42,000 and allowed for a $1,500 bonus at the end of the school year. The annual salary of an entry level teacher in the Oakland Unified School District
was $37,000 during that year.
said that "Five minutes per passing period might not sound like much, but over the course of a year, American Indian saves the equivalent of more than a week's worth of instruction." A middle school class's given teacher is to stay with his or her given class for all three years, until the class graduates. Landsberg said in 2009 that it is "a policy that seems to be more theory than reality, given high teacher turnover."
Each middle school day begins with three hours of language arts and mathematics classes. For middle school students English and mathematics make up 90 minutes per day. Afterwards, students have a twenty minute lunch period. During each day, students have 45 minutes worth of physical education instruction. The school system has few classes that do not directly affect standardized test scores. Carey Blakely, a former American Indian system teacher, said that "I don't see it as teaching to the test. I see it as, there are certain skills and knowledge that you're supposed to impart to your students, and the test measures whether your students have acquired those skills and that knowledge." The school system only allows instruction in arts to take place after school.
The AIM system schools do not have laboratory equipment for science classes. Because of this and the school's emphasis on learning from textbooks, Landsberg said "it is hard to imagine that American Indian will turn out the next Darwin
or Edison
." AIM classrooms do not have computers and televisions. Ben Chavis disapproved computers since he believed computers could cause students to easily access pornography and that the presence could invite theft and lead to unforeseen expenses.
Students are assigned homework so they have several hours' worth on most nights. Students at the AIM system middle schools are required to attend two weeks of summer school
each summer.
All AIM middle school students take Algebra I during the eighth grade.
In the fall of 2008 the State of California did not allow the AIM system to open a new campus, partly because, according to the authority, the administrators were "unable to describe" the system's selection process.
Chavis and Roberts said in 2009 that the American Indian system attracts representative samples of students from various public elementary schools in Oakland. Ron Smith, the principal of Laurel Elementary School and a parent of two AIM system children, said that of the children who went from Laurel to the AIM system, "I'd say 70% are academically strong, and 30% are a cross-section. . . . They have kids who I know could go anyplace in the state and succeed."
The AIM school system did not disclose the elementary school test scores of its students. Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles Times
could not determine whether the students at American Indian middle schools had above average scores in the elementary school grades.
In a letter dated June 9, 2006 sent to the Oakland Unified School District
(OUSD), a parent said that when she tried to register her child at AIPCS officials said that they were not accepting students and were not placing children on waitlists. She said that when she talked to a White coworker afterwards, the coworker said that his son received a spot on the waitlist. The writer of the letter said that Chavis had told the coworker that the school needed more White students, so the child would be placed at the top of the waitlist.
Other critics of the AIM System schools speculated that the school tries to recruit high performing elementary school students, and that it banishes low performing students before testing season.
(API) of 967. Mitchell Landsberg said that the other two AIM schools "are not far behind." The state API target is 800. The state average of public middle and high schools is 750. The state average of schools with underprivileged students is 650. Of the public schools in California, during that year four middle schools and three high schools had higher API scores than AIPCS; none of them had student bodies of mostly underprivileged students. Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles Times
stated that while critics of the school often said that the high number of Asian American students causes the test scores to be high, the African American and Hispanic students "do roughly as well -- in fact, better on some tests" so "[t]hat makes American Indian a rarity in American education, defying the axiom that poor black and Latino children will lag behind others in school." In 2008 Janet Roberts, the head of the AIM system, said that the speculation that the increased numbers of Asian students caused test scores to go higher demonstrated that the educational establishment has low expectations of low income African American, Hispanic and Latino, and Native American children.
Landsberg said that the school system has high performance because it "attracts academically motivated students, relentlessly (and unapologetically) teaches to the test, wrings more seat time out of every school day, hires smart young teachers, demands near-perfect attendance, piles on the homework, refuses to promote struggling students to the next grade and keeps discipline so tight that there are no distractions or disruptions. Summer school is required." Landsberg added "There is no secret to any of this. Portions of the American Indian model resemble methods used by the KIPP charter schools or, for that matter, urban parochial schools."
Between 2001 and 2005, while AIPCS was under Ben Chavis, the API increased by over 200% to 880, making it, in 2005, the middle school in Oakland with the highest API. The next highest Oakland middle school was almost 80 points lower than AIPCS.
In 2008 every AIM system eighth grader scored either a "proficient" or a higher rating in the State of California Algebra examination. In the State of California, half of the eighth graders overall took Algebra. Of the all of the state's eighth grade students who took Algebra, fewer than half scores "proficient" or higher.
Kevin Drum of Mother Jones
argued that while the AIMS schools get high test scores, the teaching style may not get the same results in every type of school. Drum cited the small sizes of AIMS schools and that the system "plainly attracts only parents and children who are academically motivated in the first place" and "requires middle school teachers to teach every subject and keeps them on a grueling pace, which means lots of turnover." Drum further argued that "the odds that the AIPC formula is scalable to an entire school district is nil."
Of the 51 students, six scored lower than proficient in both English and mathematics during the end of their 6th grade year. Three of them left the AIM system and, according to Landsberg, the remaining three "showed some progress" by the end of their final year. Landsberg said that he could not determine why the three students left the school. The school system stated that, in 2009, it had never expelled any student for any reason, and that some students voluntarily leave because they moved or because the families decided that the school is not well suited to them. Around 2005 the school overall loses 10 students per year. Chavis said that most students moved out. Some parents quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle
said they removed their children because they were dissatisfied with the authoritarian environment. Chavis said that he encouraged some students to leave.
Patricia Gimbel, the dean of admissions for Deerfield Academy
, a private university preparatory school
in Massachusetts
, said in 2005 that AIPCS had "taken kids who are not the brightest and propelled them to the top of state standards." Betty Olson-Jones, the president of the Oakland Education Association, the teacher's union of the Oakland schools, said that the AIM system "had a reputation among the local public schools as being very interested in kind of recruiting kids who are going to do well, and getting rid of kids who won't." Ben Chavis and Janet Roberts, a school principal in the AIM system, said that this was not true.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
.
It includes American Indian Public Charter School (AICPS), a 5th grade-8th grade school, American Indian Public Charter School II (AIPCS II), a fifth grade through eighth grade school, and American Indian Public High School (AIPHS), a high school (9-12). The school system has two campuses: the main campus in the Laurel area, and the AICPS II campus. AIPHS students also may take select classes at Merritt College
Merritt College
Merritt College is a two-year community college located in the Oakland Hills in Alameda County, California. The school's enrollment is approximately 6,000 students. The college is named after physician Dr...
.
The school's administration opposed to U.S. liberal
Liberalism in the United States
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process...
philosophies, and it promotes free-market capitalism. Beginning in its founding in 1996, AICPS had poor academic performance until 2000, when Ben Chavis became the head of the school. Under Chavis the test scores increased, the student demographics changed, and the AIM system opened two additional charter schools. The school received praise for its academic performance, while Chavis's discipline system received criticism.
The Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District is a public education school district which operates elementary schools , middle schools , and high schools in Oakland, California.-History:...
(OUSD) granted the charter to the school system and oversees the operations of the school system. The American Indian school system has its own school board and maintains its own internal policies.
History
The American Indian Public Charter School opened in 1996. It was intended to help Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
students in the Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
area improve their academic performance; historically Native Americans had low academic performances. Martin Waukazoo, the executive director of the Native American Health Center, was one of the founders of the school. Shortly after the establishment of the school, Waukazoo withdrew his involvement because he believed it put too much emphasis on Native American cultural classes and not enough emphasis on basic educational skills. After its founding, the school had a high staff turnover rate and insufficient funds for textbooks and computers. In 2000 the Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District is a public education school district which operates elementary schools , middle schools , and high schools in Oakland, California.-History:...
(OUSD) considered closing the school. Nanette Asimov of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
said that the school, which had 37 students, was "sinking fast," could not keep its students, and did not have "viable test scores."
Evelyn Lamenti, an employee of the OUSD Office of Indian Education, decided to ask Ben Chavis, a Lumbee
Lumbee
The Lumbee belong to a state recognized Native American tribe in North Carolina. The Lumbee are concentrated in Robeson County and named for the primary waterway traversing the county...
Native American, to become the head of the school. At the time Chavis had an education job at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. Lamenti knew Chavis when he taught at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
. Lamenti believed that he would do a good job since he had a background in education, and interest in charter schools, and a knowledge of children living in inner city American communities.
In 2000 Chavis became the head of the school, four years after the school began. Chavis took the job as a favor for other native Americans. Chavis fired most of the school's employees and eliminated the Native American cultural classes. Chavis said that he recruited new teachers who had "strong" academic backgrounds and "didn't see the students as victims, even though their lives often are incredibly difficult." By 2001 one faculty member, the coordinator of the "Math, Engineering, Science, and Achievement" program, remained from the pre-Chavis era.
By 2002 the school's enrollment tripled and its test scores were increasing.
In September 2006 the American Indian Charter High School opened.
In 2007 AICPS became the first public school in Oakland to win the National Blue Ribbon Award.
In March 2007, a professor and several students from Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
in Oakland scheduled an appointment with the administration. One student was late to the appointment, by fifteen minutes. The professor, Sabrina Zirkel, and four of the graduate students accused him of calling the student who was late, 25-year old Unity Lewis, an African-American, "a fucking black minority punk." They said that Chavis called the student a "worthless piece of shit" and, in the words of Robert Gammon of the East Bay Express
East Bay Express
The East Bay Express is an Oakland-based weekly newspaper serving the Berkeley, Oakland, and East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
, "screamed that he was going to kick the grad student's ass." Chavis said that he told Lewis that he "a dumbass minority" who was "an embarrassment to his race." Chavis said that he did not threaten to "kick" the student. He said "What I said was, 'You're going to look funny if you jump me and a sixty-year-old man kicks your ass.' " and that he did not call Lewis "a fucking black minority punk."
As a result of this incident and prior incidents, OUSD officials asked the AIM governing board to pressure Chavis to act in a different manner. In response, the AIM board gave Chavis a $700 dollar fine. Kirsten Vital, an OUSD accountability head, said that it was not likely to correct the issue leading to the Mills incident.
On March 15, 2007, Chavis told the AIM school board that he was leaving his post. The minutes of the board meeting stated that Chavis would remain as a part-time employee. Chavis said that he was not going to remain an employee and planned to go back to Arizona. Chavis said that he was not leaving because of the Mills incident, and that he planned to leave during that time regardless of the Mills incident. Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
said in 2009 that Chavis "remains a presence at the school." The website refers to Chavis as an "advisor emeritus." Janet Roberts, a former teacher, succeeded Chavis as the head of the school system. Roberts said that once Chavis resigned, critics have not voiced objections to the school anymore. She said, in the words of Katy Murphy of the Oakland Tribune, "Many assumed that the academic success of the American Indian schools was personality-driven[...] but the program didn't lose its edge after Chavis left."
On Tuesday, June 2, 2009 the first class of AIPHS, consisting of 18 students, graduated.
Campuses
The system includes three schools, American Indian Public Charter School (AICPS), a 5th grade-8th grade school, American Indian Public Charter School II (AIPCS II), a fifth grade through eighth grade school, and American Indian Public High School (AIPHS), a high school (9-12).The school system has two campuses. The original American Indian Public Charter School and the main campus of American Indian High School occupy a converted church located off of MacArthur Boulevard, in the Laurel area of Oakland. AIPCS II is located on another campus in Chinatown. Students at AIPHS who attend dual credit classes with Merritt College
Merritt College
Merritt College is a two-year community college located in the Oakland Hills in Alameda County, California. The school's enrollment is approximately 6,000 students. The college is named after physician Dr...
attend some classes at the Merritt campus.
In 2007 AICPS II shared a campus with Oakland Charter Academies (now Amethod Public Schools
Amethod Public Schools
Amethod Public Schools is a nonprofit charter school system with headquarters in Oakland, California....
). AICPS II caters to students living in Chinatown and the Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt is a large tidal lagoon that lies just east of downtown Oakland, California. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. A popular 3.1 mile walking and jogging path runs along its perimeter...
area. AICPS also admits students living in other areas of Oakland. The school states that it will consider the applications of students who live outside of Oakland.
Operations
Kevin DrumKevin Drum
Kevin Drum is an American political blogger and columnist. He was born in Long Beach, California and now lives in Irvine, California.-Education:...
of Mother Jones
Mother Jones (magazine)
Mother Jones is an American independent news organization, featuring investigative and breaking news reporting on politics, the environment, human rights, and culture. Mother Jones has been nominated for 23 National Magazine Awards and has won six times, including for General Excellence in 2001,...
said "[...]AIPC is a super-strict, teach-to-the-test, no goofing off kind of place that apparently gets good results."
The school system often fires teachers that it considers to be low performing.
As of 2001 the American Indian Model School did not give out free school lunches. Ben Chavis said this is because "[y]ou've got to give them some responsibilities."
In the pre-Chavis era school began at 9:30 AM. Chavis said this was so "because they said Indians couldn't get up early." In the pre-Chavis era the school provided smoking breaks.
Student discipline
Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
said that the AIM students "are subject to disciplinary procedures redolent of military school." At AIMS schools students who are late to class, do not complete homework, or violate the dress code automatically receive detention. A student who misbehaves once in a week receives one after school detention lasting one hour. A student who misbehaves again in the same week will receive another after school detention and a four hour Saturday detention. Landsberg said that by the time students become eighth graders, "discipline is not really an issue. Classes are preternaturally quiet and focused. Visitors may be startled to notice that students do not so much as glance at them. They have been told to keep their attention on their work. They do as they are told."
Discipline under Chavis
Ben Chavis, while heading the AIMS system, used threats and humiliation as mechanisms to discipline students. He often used racially charged language. Robert Gammon of the East Bay ExpressEast Bay Express
The East Bay Express is an Oakland-based weekly newspaper serving the Berkeley, Oakland, and East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
said "Chavis' boorish behavior has been tolerated because of his school's incredible test scores." During the Chavis era, students who repeatedly violated rules were humiliated by Chavis or by teachers. The administration often used namecalling, stereotypes, and profanities against students. Some students were forced to hold signs that insulted the students. After a student was accused of stealing, Chavis secured permission from the boy's parents to have his hair cut off. Chavis shaved the student's head in front of the entire school. In the Chavis era, some critics opposed some disciplinary practices.
Kirsten Vital, an accountability head of the Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District is a public education school district which operates elementary schools , middle schools , and high schools in Oakland, California.-History:...
, said in a latter to the AIM governing board dated on July 9, 2007 said that, during a visit to the American Indian Public Charter School in June 2007, she witnessed, in the words of Nanette Asimov of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, "incidents bordering on educational malpractice, and that came close to child endangerment." Vital cited Chavis using the words "darkies" and "whities" to refer to racial and ethnic backgrounds in front of students, Chavis referring to a former employee as a "white b --" while in the presence of students, and the school forcing a girl to clean a restroom for boys as a punishment for bad behavior.
A poster in the school hallway included a quote from Chavis, saying "You do outstanding things here and you'll be treated outstanding. You act like a fool and you'll be treated like one." Landsberg said in 2009 that the concept is still active at AIMS schools, but had been "toned down" since Chavis left his post as head of the system.
Philosophy
The school system's administration opposed to U.S. liberalLiberalism in the United States
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process...
philosophies, and it promotes free-market capitalism. The school administration opposes teacher's unions. Mitchell Landsberg said that the AIM system schools "sometimes seem like creations of television's "Colbert Report" and that the AIM system schools "mock liberal orthodoxy with such zeal that it can seem like a parody." American conservatives have praised the AIM Schools. For instance George Will
George Will
George Frederick Will is an American newspaper columnist, journalist, and author. He is a Pulitzer Prize-winner best known for his conservative commentary on politics...
stated that he was in favor of the school system since it could form a "new paternalism" that could close achievement gaps between socioeconomic classes.
School uniforms
Students are required to wear school uniformSchool uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
s. Students wear white shirts and dark-colored trousers. The school does not permit students to wear makeup, jewelry, or brightly-colored hair accessories.
Student body
As of 2009 the majority of the student body is Asian AmericanAsian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
. The next largest ethnic groups were African Americans and Hispanic Americans. During that year almost all of the students were low income.
Of the high school students who graduated in 2009, all planned to attend colleges and universities in the fall of that year. Ten students planned to attend various University of California System campuses. One planned to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. One planned to attend Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
.
In 2005 Ben Chavis said that the target demographic of the AIPCS was "ghetto, poor kids." During that year about 75% of the students qualified for free or reduced lunch programs.
In 2000 the school had a 62% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
student body. In 2001 the school had about 100 students. 52% of the students were Native American. According to Chavis, during that year 12-15 percent of the children were homeless. During the same year he said that some students had been expelled from other schools for because they carried knives on their persons. Since Chavis became the head of the school, the Native American population decreased. In 2005 20% of the students were Native American. In 2006 the percentage of Native Americans was over 13%. By that year the school began to receive many Asian Americans from Laurel.
Faculty
As of 2009 most AIM system teachers were young, attended prestigious universities and were, in the words of Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, "self-confident" and "mature."
In 2005 American Indian Public Charter School had seven teachers. The student teacher ratio was 25 to one. Most of the teachers had ages in the twenties. Most of them graduated from prestigious universities. During that year Ben Chavis said that the few teachers who are not credentialed were enrolled in credentialing programs.
As of 2005 AIPCS paid each first year teacher an annual salary of $42,000 and allowed for a $1,500 bonus at the end of the school year. The annual salary of an entry level teacher in the Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District is a public education school district which operates elementary schools , middle schools , and high schools in Oakland, California.-History:...
was $37,000 during that year.
Curriculum
In the American Indian middle schools one teacher teaches all of the subjects for a given class. The regular teacher does not teach physical education. This differs from the practices of most American middle schools, where teachers specializing in different subjects teach different classes. The school has this policy in order to make the students form bonds with their teachers and to save time normally allotted to class passing periods. Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
said that "Five minutes per passing period might not sound like much, but over the course of a year, American Indian saves the equivalent of more than a week's worth of instruction." A middle school class's given teacher is to stay with his or her given class for all three years, until the class graduates. Landsberg said in 2009 that it is "a policy that seems to be more theory than reality, given high teacher turnover."
Each middle school day begins with three hours of language arts and mathematics classes. For middle school students English and mathematics make up 90 minutes per day. Afterwards, students have a twenty minute lunch period. During each day, students have 45 minutes worth of physical education instruction. The school system has few classes that do not directly affect standardized test scores. Carey Blakely, a former American Indian system teacher, said that "I don't see it as teaching to the test. I see it as, there are certain skills and knowledge that you're supposed to impart to your students, and the test measures whether your students have acquired those skills and that knowledge." The school system only allows instruction in arts to take place after school.
The AIM system schools do not have laboratory equipment for science classes. Because of this and the school's emphasis on learning from textbooks, Landsberg said "it is hard to imagine that American Indian will turn out the next Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
or Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
." AIM classrooms do not have computers and televisions. Ben Chavis disapproved computers since he believed computers could cause students to easily access pornography and that the presence could invite theft and lead to unforeseen expenses.
Students are assigned homework so they have several hours' worth on most nights. Students at the AIM system middle schools are required to attend two weeks of summer school
Summer school
Summer school is a school, or a program generally sponsored by a school or a school district, that teaches students during the summer vacation....
each summer.
All AIM middle school students take Algebra I during the eighth grade.
Pre-Chavis curriculum
The American Indian Public Charter School, in its early years, offered Native American cultural classes. Martin Waukazoo, one of the founders of the AIPCS, said that he withdrew from the school because it did not sufficiently emphasize basic educational skills. He said "They were doing too many fuzzy, warm things like bead-making classes and drum classes. Those are good hobbies, but our kids need to learn to read and write. I felt it was doing more harm than good." After Ben Chavis became the head of the school, he eliminated the Native American cultural classes.Admissions
In the State of California, charter schools are required to take all students who apply to the school if the schools have enough capacity to house them. If a charter school has more prospective students than room available to house them, the charter school has to hold a lottery. The AIM school system, as of 2009, has never held a lottery. Ben Chavis and Janet Roberts, a school principal in the AIM system, said that AIM never received enough students to require the system to hold a lottery.In the fall of 2008 the State of California did not allow the AIM system to open a new campus, partly because, according to the authority, the administrators were "unable to describe" the system's selection process.
Chavis and Roberts said in 2009 that the American Indian system attracts representative samples of students from various public elementary schools in Oakland. Ron Smith, the principal of Laurel Elementary School and a parent of two AIM system children, said that of the children who went from Laurel to the AIM system, "I'd say 70% are academically strong, and 30% are a cross-section. . . . They have kids who I know could go anyplace in the state and succeed."
The AIM school system did not disclose the elementary school test scores of its students. Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
could not determine whether the students at American Indian middle schools had above average scores in the elementary school grades.
In a letter dated June 9, 2006 sent to the Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District is a public education school district which operates elementary schools , middle schools , and high schools in Oakland, California.-History:...
(OUSD), a parent said that when she tried to register her child at AIPCS officials said that they were not accepting students and were not placing children on waitlists. She said that when she talked to a White coworker afterwards, the coworker said that his son received a spot on the waitlist. The writer of the letter said that Chavis had told the coworker that the school needed more White students, so the child would be placed at the top of the waitlist.
Other critics of the AIM System schools speculated that the school tries to recruit high performing elementary school students, and that it banishes low performing students before testing season.
Academic performance
In May 2009 American Indian Public Charter School had an Academic Performance IndexAcademic Performance Index
The Academic Performance Index is a measurement of academic performance and progress of individual schools in California, United States. It is one of the main components of the Public Schools Accountability Act passed by the California legislature in 1999...
(API) of 967. Mitchell Landsberg said that the other two AIM schools "are not far behind." The state API target is 800. The state average of public middle and high schools is 750. The state average of schools with underprivileged students is 650. Of the public schools in California, during that year four middle schools and three high schools had higher API scores than AIPCS; none of them had student bodies of mostly underprivileged students. Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
stated that while critics of the school often said that the high number of Asian American students causes the test scores to be high, the African American and Hispanic students "do roughly as well -- in fact, better on some tests" so "[t]hat makes American Indian a rarity in American education, defying the axiom that poor black and Latino children will lag behind others in school." In 2008 Janet Roberts, the head of the AIM system, said that the speculation that the increased numbers of Asian students caused test scores to go higher demonstrated that the educational establishment has low expectations of low income African American, Hispanic and Latino, and Native American children.
Landsberg said that the school system has high performance because it "attracts academically motivated students, relentlessly (and unapologetically) teaches to the test, wrings more seat time out of every school day, hires smart young teachers, demands near-perfect attendance, piles on the homework, refuses to promote struggling students to the next grade and keeps discipline so tight that there are no distractions or disruptions. Summer school is required." Landsberg added "There is no secret to any of this. Portions of the American Indian model resemble methods used by the KIPP charter schools or, for that matter, urban parochial schools."
Between 2001 and 2005, while AIPCS was under Ben Chavis, the API increased by over 200% to 880, making it, in 2005, the middle school in Oakland with the highest API. The next highest Oakland middle school was almost 80 points lower than AIPCS.
In 2008 every AIM system eighth grader scored either a "proficient" or a higher rating in the State of California Algebra examination. In the State of California, half of the eighth graders overall took Algebra. Of the all of the state's eighth grade students who took Algebra, fewer than half scores "proficient" or higher.
Kevin Drum of Mother Jones
Mother Jones (magazine)
Mother Jones is an American independent news organization, featuring investigative and breaking news reporting on politics, the environment, human rights, and culture. Mother Jones has been nominated for 23 National Magazine Awards and has won six times, including for General Excellence in 2001,...
argued that while the AIMS schools get high test scores, the teaching style may not get the same results in every type of school. Drum cited the small sizes of AIMS schools and that the system "plainly attracts only parents and children who are academically motivated in the first place" and "requires middle school teachers to teach every subject and keeps them on a grueling pace, which means lots of turnover." Drum further argued that "the odds that the AIPC formula is scalable to an entire school district is nil."
Student progress
Ron Smith, the principal of Laurel Elementary School, disclosed the middle school test scores of the 51 students from Laurel who entered the AIM system in 2004, showing their progress in English and mathematics between the 6th and 8th grades. Landsberg said "It's impossible to tell whether the students were academically strong at the start of sixth grade or were brought up to grade level by the rigors of a year at American Indian." Of the students from Laurel who had completed the 6th grade at the AIM system, 39 finished all three years at the AIM system.Of the 51 students, six scored lower than proficient in both English and mathematics during the end of their 6th grade year. Three of them left the AIM system and, according to Landsberg, the remaining three "showed some progress" by the end of their final year. Landsberg said that he could not determine why the three students left the school. The school system stated that, in 2009, it had never expelled any student for any reason, and that some students voluntarily leave because they moved or because the families decided that the school is not well suited to them. Around 2005 the school overall loses 10 students per year. Chavis said that most students moved out. Some parents quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
said they removed their children because they were dissatisfied with the authoritarian environment. Chavis said that he encouraged some students to leave.
Patricia Gimbel, the dean of admissions for Deerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy is an independent, coeducational boarding school in Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States. It is a four-year college-preparatory school with approximately 600 students and about 100 faculty, all of whom live on or near campus....
, a private university preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, said in 2005 that AIPCS had "taken kids who are not the brightest and propelled them to the top of state standards." Betty Olson-Jones, the president of the Oakland Education Association, the teacher's union of the Oakland schools, said that the AIM system "had a reputation among the local public schools as being very interested in kind of recruiting kids who are going to do well, and getting rid of kids who won't." Ben Chavis and Janet Roberts, a school principal in the AIM system, said that this was not true.
See also
- Amethod Public SchoolsAmethod Public SchoolsAmethod Public Schools is a nonprofit charter school system with headquarters in Oakland, California....
External links
- American Indian Model Schools
- Crazy Like a Fox - The website about the book by Dr. Ben Chavis and Carey Blakely