Williams: Charter school not impressive

Friday, March 26, 1999 | 1:56 a.m.

Assembly Education Chairman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, and several other panel members toured the I Can Do Anything charter high school on Wednesday.

Earlier that day, students at the school testified in support of SB258, sponsored by Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, that would significantly expand the ability of charter schools to organize and operate.

Williams said he doesn't doubt the sincerity of the teachers and students at the school, but the quality of instruction seemed questionable in the classes he visited.

"There was supposedly a culinary class but we couldn't find any sinks," he said. "The school had a sterile atmosphere."

In one environmental science class, Williams said he saw a television on, a handful of students sleeping but no evidence of learning going on.

Questions raised about what was seen on the tour were asked of Margaret Williamson, the superintendent of the school. The response was that there was more going on that met the eye, he said.

Williams said the school does appear to be fulfilling a need because the students he spoke to during the tour would likely have been dropouts without the education alternative offered at the facility.

"I think the people are sincere, they are really trying to do something," he said. "But I doubt if you walked in there, you would want your kid in there.

"I walked away saying, 'Why should we do anything to change the law?' "

Washington proposes to reduce the required number of licensed teachers from 75 percent to 50 percent, but there was only one teacher at I Can Do Anything who was not licensed. This suggests the change is not needed, Williams said.

Serious questions have also been raised by the Clark County School District about the conversion of existing public schools into charter schools as has been proposed in Washington's bill, he added.