The Grades Are In: City-Backed Nap Ford Charter School Gets an “F”

The Nap Ford Charter School received a big fat “F” from the state of Florida. The grades were released in the 2013-2014 School Accountability Reports from the Florida Department of Education. The Nap Ford Charter School actually ranks among the lowest performing elementary schools in the state, despite constant praise and financial support from the City of Orlando and Mayor Buddy Dyer.

According to the Department of Education, the lowest 300 performing elementary schools are “determined based on the reading achievement and learning gains points each school earns in the school grades model.” Specifically, preliminary points for reading achievement and for reading learning gains were summed for each elementary school, and the schools were ranked from lowest to highest. Nap Ford Charter School reported a sum of Reading Achievement and Learning Gains of 88, one of the 75 lowest gains in the state.

But Nap Ford Charter School continues to benefit from favoritism from Mayor Dyer and the entire Orlando City Council. Worse, here’s another charter school being bankrolled using public funds from elected Democrats like Dyer, Patty Sheehan, Robert Stuart, Sam Ings and former Commissioner Daisy Lynum. These failing charter schools suck funds and resources from our traditional public schools and other needs and our local leaders should end their favoritism and handouts.

Despite the current $52 million budget crisis leading to increased taxes and cuts in services, this Mayor and City Council have approved hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Nap Ford Charter School. Just last year, the City Council approved $150,000 more for an expansion of the Nap Ford Charter School with portables. From the City Minutes:

(2) Approving Nap Ford Funding Agreement. It was moved by Commissioner Daisy W. Lynum, seconded by Commissioner Robert F. Stuart, and vote was unanimous (6-0) to approve the Agreement, filed and documentary #130708402. Lawanna Gelzer appeared in opposition and stated that public funding should not be going to a Charter School.

Four of the eight failures in Orange County are charter schools and the lowest scoring school is the county virtual school (online education sure isn’t working, is it?). In 2013, WFTV reported that Mayor Dyer was attempting to bring the Florida Virtual School to “Creative Village” as an anchor tenant. Nothing has happened with that to date. We also know Dyer has promised the Nap Ford Charter School a new building in Creative Village. Looks like a lot of failure rather than creativity for Dyer’s gentrification “village.”

The local F schools are: Orange County Virtual School Digital Academy, UCP East Charter, Aspire Academy Charter, Pinecrest Creek Charter, Shingle Creek and Washington Shores elementary schools, Carver Middle.