An Interview With

ROBERTA TENNEY

CONSULTANT FOR CHOICE & CHARTER SCHOOL

NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

October 11, 2004

In April 2004, Roberta Tenney joined New Hampshire Department of Education to handle the state’s new choice & charter school program. Six months later, Roberta shares her view of the state’s new charter school pilot program, now moving into its second year.

SH:  Roberta, what’s happening from your perspective with the state’s new charter school program?

RT:  You know, what I see are people vitally concerned about how public education is delivered. School systems, parents, educators have all come forward with exciting and innovative ideas for helping children learn. It’s very gratifying to be in the center of that kind of excitement because people moving forward with choice and charter schools here are doing this for all the right reasons. 

Public schools have so many demands and stakeholders. These new school initiatives allow a small group of adults to ask important questions about reform that can’t and shouldn’t be asked in a large setting—because most of what public education is doing is really quite good. It’s good to look at new school models for students who need something different.

I like the analogy of calling charter schools the “research and development arm of public education.” The charter school reform initiative gives teachers and students a chance to try something new and take on more ownership. We may see new school models developed that in the long term will influence the larger setting.

The choice/charter models provide flexibility—which is what charter schools want to do. In exchange for the flexibility, the charter school agrees to great accountability to their own mission and goals.

SH: What do you hear, as you talk with people around the state?

RT: What I hear I like. People are energized by these new schools. I have great respect and appreciation for home schooling. But apparently, some of the home schooling parents felt there were no options. So students are coming back to the public education system in a way that hadn’t been planned. So these schools are providing an option.

SH: We have 3 charter schools open this September and 3 more school openings this year.

RT:  All charter schools open now are committed to individual pupil plans and in all schools this concept has been embraced by students. One thing about choice schools is that students choose them—they want to be there.

SH: The concept of school choice is interesting at the high school level. Whose choice is it—the student’s or the parent’s? 

RT: At the high school level, the charter school needs to be a school of choice for the student, with support of the parent. And what we’ve found is a few high school students have not wanted to be there. So the charter school, students, and parents have had to talk about what choice means. 

SH: In 2003, when New Hampshire’s legislature passed legislation for new pilot program and a second authorizer, we also received federal funds to help new schools start. It’s time for the second round of grants, yes?

RT:  We were fortunate enough to receive a large grant from the federal government to give to new schools and communities (7.2 million over 3 years). These funds really have helped new schools set up and open. 

Today we received our authorization for the 2^nd year of federal grant funds. We had been authorized for 2.5 million this year—but due to the increased interest in charter schools now, this amount was increased to

3 million this year. We can fund two more schools than we anticipated this year.

SH: How many charter schools could the start-up charter school grant support this year?

RT: I would say we can support 6-8 new schools this year, depending on the size of the start-up grants awarded. We anticipate the grant range as $300,000 to $350,000. This depends on the size of school and it’s circumstances.

SH: Are there any common features that define our state’s  charter school applications?

RT: In all instances the new charter school founders have come together over providing a solution to a need—either a need of parents, or a school district, or citizens of a town. There’s some need people have identified they want to solve. Two schools are addressing the issue of students dropping out of school. One school is addressing unmotivated students. Two schools are designed around a need for stronger and more expansive programs in arts and education—Cocheco Academy (Dover) and Seacoast Charter School (Stratham).  These new schools are all providing a program that meets needs for a particular group of students—to help different groups of students flourish.

SH: New Hampshire is just starting their charter school initiative. In your short term, have you noticed any problems?

RT:  In education, because it’s such an individual endeavor, there are always going to be problems. There are challenges. The underlying problem we have is the financing of charter schools. This still needs attention. The legislature has helped in the first year with additional funds. And these schools have had outstanding support from their own communities and from businesses.  One school had all its furniture donated by a business. Another school had a van donated. There is a lot of quiet but substantial support from a number of sources and it’s provided the support needed in these first years.

SH: What’s your prediction about 2004-2005?

RT: There truly is great interest around the state…from teachers, parents, districts, non-profit organizations. We have our 10th charter school application being reviewed now (this has all come forward in one year) and at least 4 or 5 new charter school proposals are being developed. I anticipate strong interest and activity in school design grants this year. We have support from the legislature in addressing our needs. I am particularly appreciative of Representative John Hunt. I see continuing interest and excitement in the charter school and choice initiative. We’re meeting the challenge.

Roberta Tenney joined New Hampshire’s Department of Education after 27 years teaching history and Dean of Faculty at St. Paul School in New Hampshire. She is a graduate of UNH and Dartmouth and is currently completing her doctorate at Columbia University.