NAPLES, Fla. — On the verge of seeing his charter school shut down because of academic failures, Archbishop Clarence Davis resorted to bargaining.
In three out of four years, Davis’ Imagine Charter School in St. Petersburg received an “F” grade for academic performance from the state, results so poor they warranted closing the school.
With the school’s fate up for a vote in December 2012, Davis made his offer to the Pinellas County School Board: If Imagine Charter School posts a “C” or better in 2013, keep it open. If it doesn’t, turn out the lights.
“Rather than say yes or no to us, let our students make that decision, let the parents and our teachers make that decision,” Davis implored.
The county school board didn’t make the deal. It unanimously voted to close the school. And in the end, Imagine Charter School got a fourth “F” grade in 2013, receiving the 10th-lowest scores out of nearly 3,200 public schools in the state.
Read Part 1 – Florida’s failed charter schools: Cracks in the system
Read Part 2 – Few dollars, little sense doom dozens of charters
