Last night the school board approved a resolution opposing charter schools. What's the threat? There are lots of stories of charter schools elsewhere that saved money, reduced overcrowding, and provided a quality education.

Are there special interests being protected?

Control. The school board will have little to no say how they are run.

And since most charters do much better than public schools in educating children at lower cost, the rest of FCPS will say they are making them look bad.

The manufactured excuse is that charters do not have the resources to accommodate some special needs students.

Assuming that was a straight question, what I've read leaves me with two apparent facts:

1) Charter schools produce good results for their students
2) By definition, charter schools are self-selecting to a large degree, and thus produce poorer results for other schools in the area

Given that FCPS wants to improve results for kids at their schools, their resistance seems unsurprising. OTOH, if you're a parent who wants the best for your kid, it's hard to NOT see the positive side of charter schools.

Does this help? Obviously one can latch onto either side and push for it, but both arguments seem to have merit.

Charter schools have quite a spotty record. There are a few that turn out well, with many that simply fall apart. Too many hinge on the strength and vision of a single individual, and when that person tires, dies, or otherwise moves on, the whole notion collapses. Then what? It would hardly seem to me that rolling budget-money dice on charter schools of uncertain value can be a good idea when funds to do the basics are increasingly unavailable,

Greybeard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> 2) By definition, charter schools are
> self-selecting to a large degree



I don't think this is a good thing.

AGT Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Greybeard Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > 2) By definition, charter schools are
> > self-selecting to a large degree
>
> I don't think this is a good thing.

And that's the crux of the issue. My father went to an Ivy League school; he often said that there was nothing special about the professors or the campus--what made it worthwhile was the other students (this was 70 years ago, of course--let's not digress into the college application frenzy/angst thing, ok?). Those students were self-selected, were the cream of the crop, and that made it a great learning experience.

Not saying this has to be a desirable thing, but clearly for those self-selected folks, it can be. Whether that's a goodness for society...again, that's the crux of the issue. Not too hard to get back to the 60s and the arguments against school integration...

Studies have continually shown that the majority of charter school students perform at or below their public school counterparts. The most recent large-scale study, performed by Stanford University across 26 states, showed that only 1/3 of charter school students performed better than their public school counterparts. The remaining students were either equal to or below their public school peers.

Typical Nova Guy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Studies have continually shown that the majority
> of charter school students perform at or below
> their public school counterparts. The most recent
> large-scale study, performed by Stanford
> University across 26 states, showed that only 1/3
> of charter school students performed better than
> their public school counterparts. The remaining
> students were either equal to or below their
> public school peers.

Simple Google search appears to say... YOU LIE.

http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/charter-schools-better-than-traditional/

More excellent outliers than terrible outliers — Over all, there are more outperforming charter schools than underperforming ones. (Charters are four times more likely than non-charters to over-perform their prediction, while only twice as likely to be underperformers.) Given that the low performing schools tend to be smaller than the high performing schools, the positive effect is amplified — with 2.5 times as many students served in the top performing 5% than the lowest performing 5%.

http://www.npr.org/2013/07/16/201109021/the-charter-school-vs-public-school-debate-continues

"The fact that we can show that significantly disadvantaged groups of students are doing substantially better in charter school in reading and math, that's very exciting,"

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/knowledge-bank/2015/03/19/new-study-shows-charter-schools-making-a-difference-in-cities

On net, the findings are good news for charter schools: Across the 41 cities studied, students in charter schools learned significantly more than their peers attending traditional public schools – 40 more days worth of learning in math, and 28 more in reading.

Some urban charter sectors are producing phenomenal results for kids: Charter schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, the District of Columbia, Detroit and Newark, New Jersey produced particularly strong results for students.

Urban charter schools are producing learning gains for nearly all student subgroups: Black, Hispanic and Asian charter students, as well as students in poverty and special education programs, all made significant learning gains compared to similar peers in district schools. Only two student subgroups – white students and Native American students – appeared to do less well in charters than in traditional district schools.

The demand for many charter schools is so great that many of them must hold lotteries to pick who will be fortunate enough to attend them.

Open three or four charter schools in Fairfax County and Garza might be able to balance her budget.

Garza is a practicing autocrat

Non Typical Nova Mom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Simple Google search appears to say... YOU LIE.

Like voucher proponents and used car salesmen, charter schools activists will always distort and misrepresent the facts. It's what they do. Charters CAN work well, particularly in the short-run, but they are no panacea and can easily become a money-pit albatross for the districts (FCPS in our case) that support them. Charters are a loose-cannon luxury toy that under its current levels of funding, FCPS simply cannot afford to be playing around with.

Luxury tax Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Non Typical Nova Mom Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Simple Google search appears to say... YOU LIE.
>
> Like voucher proponents and used car salesmen,
> charter schools activists will always distort and
> misrepresent the facts. It's what they do.
> Charters CAN work well, particularly in the
> short-run, but they are no panacea and can easily
> become a money-pit albatross for the districts
> (FCPS in our case) that support them. Charters
> are a loose-cannon luxury toy that under its
> current levels of funding, FCPS simply cannot
> afford to be playing around with.

If only the facts supported your opinion. But they don't.

Charter schools in Fairfax County are a terrific response to overcrowding, wasteful spending, and lowered standards.

What is it that you are really afraid of here?

The failed charter schools
Few that may be
Have been studied intensely
By opponents, with glee
With fifteen years we now know
How successful the charter schools can grow.

c47P9 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Luxury tax Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Non Typical Nova Mom Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Simple Google search appears to say... YOU
> LIE.
> >
> > Like voucher proponents and used car salesmen,
> > charter schools activists will always distort
> and
> > misrepresent the facts. It's what they do.
> > Charters CAN work well, particularly in the
> > short-run, but they are no panacea and can
> easily
> > become a money-pit albatross for the districts
> > (FCPS in our case) that support them. Charters
> > are a loose-cannon luxury toy that under its
> > current levels of funding, FCPS simply cannot
> > afford to be playing around with.
>
> If only the facts supported your opinion. But
> they don't.
>
> Charter schools in Fairfax County are a terrific
> response to overcrowding, wasteful spending, and
> lowered standards.
>
> What is it that you are really afraid of here?


We’re afraid we’re not capable of managing the books. The whole thing is just too much for us. Please just give us what we want and stop asking us to do things.

c47P9 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If only the facts supported your opinion. But they don't.

They most certainly do, as your nonsense babbling is easily going to show. Charter schools are a mindless crap-shoot. Some work for a while. Most don't work at all. We can have these play schools when we can pay for them with play money. We already have plenty enough to do with the real money, thanks.

> Charter schools in Fairfax County are a terrific
> response to overcrowding, wasteful spending, and
> lowered standards.

These are not "Little House on the Prairie" days any more. Charter schools are a whimsical pipedream clung to by small minds due to the very fact that they are SO INCREDIBLY SMALL AND EASILY DECEIVED! There is no magic elixir here. charter schools require the same physical plant, staffing, planning, development, and admin support that any other school requires, but they come with no assurance at all of even doing as well as what current schools are able to do.

> What is it that you are really afraid of here?

STUPIDITY! The very thing that you are so clearly demonstrating here.

Failures Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The failed charter schools
> Few that may be
> Have been studied intensely
> By opponents, with glee
> With fifteen years we now know
> How successful the charter schools can grow.

You suck at poetry. In addition to logic. Probably home-schooled.

Ignore "Luxury Tax." Typical liberal who has no facts so resorts to whiny attacks. Typical gen ed product of FCPS.

They're afraid of them because they can't control them.

Because they are a scam of a few activists to privatize public education. They are not the silver bullet for our education woes, and that has been proven time and time again.

Charter school scammers want that Fairfax County $$, and they are going after it hard. There are only a few large school district left in the nation that are not host to scores of charter schools, and FCPS is one of them.

Excellent work of the school board to KEEP ON opposing charter schools. This is one thing to be proud of.

That asshat who kept trying to open a charter school near my home has finally taken his website down. FUCK HIM. I hope he lost his shirt in his effort to further degrade my neighborhood schools.

http://www.fairfaxleads.org/

Luxury Tax = Typical Lib Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ignore "Luxury Tax." Typical liberal who has no facts so resorts
> to whiny attacks. Typical gen ed product of FCPS.

That was powerful. Sounds like some sad-sack sectarian excuse for a response.

Isn't there a charter school already in the works here?

Charter schools replace poor public schools and don't do it any better. That isn't an issue here.

Scammers! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Because they are a scam of a few activists to
> privatize public education. They are not the
> silver bullet for our education woes, and that has
> been proven time and time again.
>
> Charter school scammers want that Fairfax County
> $$, and they are going after it hard. There are
> only a few large school district left in the
> nation that are not host to scores of charter
> schools, and FCPS is one of them.
>
> Excellent work of the school board to KEEP ON
> opposing charter schools. This is one thing to be
> proud of.
>
> That asshat who kept trying to open a charter
> school near my home has finally taken his website
> down. FUCK HIM. I hope he lost his shirt in his
> effort to further degrade my neighborhood
> schools.
>
> http://www.fairfaxleads.org/


“...that has been proven time and time again.” who? what? when? and why? state your source

Scammers! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> http://www.fairfaxleads.org/



why does your link go here:


ecbiz103.inmotionhosting.com

“Your IP address: 71.191.174.148"

causeican Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> why does your link go here:
>
> ecbiz103.inmotionhosting.com
>
> “Your IP address: 71.191.174.148"

Because the site that used to be hosted there has been removed or not paid for, and hence no longer exists.

Luxury tax Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Charter schools have quite a spotty record. There
> are a few that turn out well, with many that
> simply fall apart. Too many hinge on the strength
> and vision of a single individual, and when that
> person tires, dies, or otherwise moves on, the
> whole notion collapses. Then what? It would
> hardly seem to me that rolling budget-money dice
> on charter schools of uncertain value can be a
> good idea when funds to do the basics are
> increasingly unavailable,

The same can be said of public schools too, of which too many are failing our children.

Charter Member Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Luxury tax Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Charter schools have quite a spotty record.
>
> The same can be said of public schools too, of
> which too many are failing our children.

True. The difference is that charter schools take away tax dollars that could be otherwise spent on public schools. Charter schools seldom avoid the necessity of building, maintaining and staffing public schools in the same area. The cost of paying for students to attend the charter school will in most instances exceed the savings to the public schools from not having to educate the children attending the charter schools. Where charter schools make financial sense is where you have an unserved or underserved area or group, and the cost of the public school system stepping in to fill that need is greater than the cost of letting charter schools fill that need.

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Charter Member Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Luxury tax Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Charter schools have quite a spotty record.
> >
> > The same can be said of public schools too, of
> > which too many are failing our children.
>
> True. The difference is that charter schools take
> away tax dollars that could be otherwise spent on
> public schools. Charter schools seldom avoid the
> necessity of building, maintaining and staffing
> public schools in the same area. The cost of
> paying for students to attend the charter school
> will in most instances exceed the savings to the
> public schools from not having to educate the
> children attending the charter schools. Where
> charter schools make financial sense is where you
> have an unserved or underserved area or group, and
> the cost of the public school system stepping in
> to fill that need is greater than the cost of
> letting charter schools fill that need.

Actually, charter schools cost a lot less than public schools, mainly due to lower personnel costs because staff do not follow the union contract, but also because charter schools are far less dependent on central services.

Because every parent of children who attend charter schools wants them there, there is also more giving of time and money. Corporate sponsors also step up.

Some TJ kids did a study a few years ago that concluded TJ would be a better school and would cost the county less money if it was converted to a charter school. They sent it to the school board, which was so scared that they refused to allow a public presentation.

TJ represents one of the instances where a charter school would probably be cheaper than the public school. The reason is because charter TJ would be IN LIEU OF and not in addition to the public TJ. If you set up a charter high school in Mount Vernon OTOH, you would still need to maintain and staff Mount Vernon high school.

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TJ represents one of the instances where a charter
> school would probably be cheaper than the public
> school. The reason is because charter TJ would be
> IN LIEU OF and not in addition to the public TJ.
> If you set up a charter high school in Mount
> Vernon OTOH, you would still need to maintain and
> staff Mount Vernon high school.


By your logic, Bill, the next new school we build should be a charter school.

I am OK with that.

Fairfax doesn't need charter schools because the demographics in the county are skewed white and Asian, two groups that don't need special help. If the county had the number of niggers that DC has, then charter schools would be a way to protect the good students (white, gook, and a few nigs) from the nignogs.

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The difference is that charter schools take away tax dollars
> that could be otherwise spent on public schools.

Charter schools ARE public schools. All charter schools in Virginia are nonsectarian alternative public schools located within a school division and under the authority of a local school board.

Truthinesses Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some TJ kids did a study a few years ago that
> concluded TJ would be a better school and would
> cost the county less money if it was converted to
> a charter school.

TJ already is a charter school. It and the Maggie L Walker High School in Richmond (specializing in government and international studies) are chartered by the Commonwealth. There are 16 other so-called Governor's Schools as well, but they are designed to supplement the curricula at local schools where TJ and MLW provide stand-alone 4-year programs of instruction.



They sent it to the school
> board, which was so scared that they refused to
> allow a public presentation.

Hmmm... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bill.N. Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The difference is that charter schools take away
> tax dollars
> > that could be otherwise spent on public schools.
>
>
> Charter schools ARE public schools. All charter
> schools in Virginia are nonsectarian alternative
> public schools located within a school division
> and under the authority of a local school board.

And there is a group of charter school activists putting forth a VA Constitutional amendment to REMOVE public oversight of charter schools. That's the ridiculous position FCPS is against...Right wing idiots changing a Constitution over the way charters get accredited.

If you want a private education for your child, pay for private school. It will solve your white privilege problem much more easily than changing the Constitution.

There's a white privilege problem? Sounds more like jealously to me.

I'm strongly opposed to state funded charter schools in fairfax for a number of reasons - including:

Most parents I know that use the county schools are happy to very happy with their schools. I know that we are. Our kids have been through their pyramid ES and MS (in one case using a GT center, in another an in-school GT program), and are now doing well in their pyramid HS. They're very different - and the system has served them both well. Not only are they happy about them, they're prepared to continue to pay the taxes to keep them strong even when their kids have graduated

Charters claim to solve a problem that we don't have in Fairfax - we already have a high performing school system. The major issue we do have is the growing salary gap with neighboring jurisdictions. This could be solved by more of our taxes coming back from Richmond - not by diluting funding with charters

One of the most compelling argument for charters has been in NY where large failing schools have been broken up into autonomous small schools. I don't see any appetite for breaking up the existing schools in this way.

If there is no problem for a charter to solve, then they only out-perform the existing schools by selection and exclusion. I don't believe that there is an appetite in Fairfax for pervasive selection in the school system. If there was, there are better ways that we could achieve that than charters.

FCPS is already in a position to try any experiment that a charter would represent. We already have AP schools, IB schools, magnets etc.

For most parents school choice is and would be a myth. The reality is that many families with kids have two working parents because of the high cost of living in this area. Part of the social contract is that families work and part of their taxes go to fund an efficient bus fleet. As an example, one of my neighbors has a child who was perfectly suited to Hunter Woods magnet - but being a single working parent there was no way that she could have got her child to and from the school or been able to support after school activity. If we want a young vibrant professional workforce in fairfax, parents are both likely to work - they can only do that if their kids can get to school efficiently. TJ only works because there is an overlay bus system - there is no way that this would make sense for multiple charters around the county.

Charters have a very spotty record and there is no good indication that they would improve educational outcomes in a well performing system such as Fairfax

At the end of the day, imposing charter schools on a functioning school system such as fairfax is just another attempt by the RoVa right to impose a set of conservative values on the community. Its largely driven by individuals and ideologies that don't believe in public education - and that views charters as a stepping stones to vouchers for private and religious schools and the destruction of public education. These are the same groups who continue to underfund our state universities.

The reality is that functioning inclusive public school systems such as fairfax's have been part of the US' economic success.

Education is one of the areas where we all benefit - a better workforce grows the economy, produces a working democracy, solves problems. That's why the US has viewed his as something we do together for and with each other through a public school system. Fairfax is an example of where that works well

The answer is to fund our county schools properly - as we should our other infrastructure such as roads. The key to that is bringing more of our state tax dollars back from Richmond. That's what our elected officials should be concentrating on.

Our high performing school system should not be placed on the altar of right-wing dogma

Well said.

I strongly support charter schools in Fairfax for a number of reasons - including:

Most parents I know who send their children to county schools are unhappy with the direction our schools are heading. I know that we are. Our kids have been through their pyramid ES and MS (in one case using a GT center, in another an in-school GT program), and are now doing well in their pyramid HS, despite the problems there. They are more than ready to go to college, but recognize that most graduating seniors from FCPS require remedial classes in English and Math before they are ready for college-level work.

Charters solve a number of growing problems that we have in Fairfax - numerous independent rating systems show we have a declining school system. The major issue we have is not a salary gap with neighboring jurisdictions. If we did, our teachers would be flocking there, and they are not. Besides, some of those neighboring districts, especially Arlington, PG, and DC, spend much more per student with even worse results than FCPS. This will obviously not be solved by more of our taxes coming back from Richmond - our Democrat legislative team has little sway with the Republicans who successfully manage the rest of the state.

One of the most compelling argument for charters has been in NY where large failing schools have been broken up into autonomous small schools. It is clear that we are now a large failing district. That is why there is such a growing appetite for adding charter schools as an option - because they work well in situations as we have here.

Charters out-perform the existing schools by eliminating bureaucracy. I firmly believe that there is an appetite in Fairfax for a choice other than the status quo. If there was not, there would not already be a growing exodus of our bright students to private and parochial schools.

FCPS is already in a position to try any experiment that a charter would represent. We already have AP schools, IB schools, magnets etc. But all of them are operated using the same bloated bureaucracy.

For most parents school choice would be just that. The reality is that many families with kids have two working parents because of the high cost of living in this area. Part of the social contract is that families work and part of their taxes go to fund the massive school bus fleet. As an example, one of my neighbors has a child who was perfectly suited to Hunter Woods magnet - but being a single working parent there was no way that she could have got her child to and from the school or been able to support after school activity. She would have to make the sam choice if she wanted to send her child to a charter school. If we want a young vibrant professional workforce in Fairfax, parents are both likely to work - they can only do that if their kids can get to school efficiently. Fortunately, our liberal populace pushes car pools as the answer to these challenges. TJ and charter schools only work because there is an overlay bus system - which would scale well for multiple charters around the county.

Charters have a very good record and there is good indication that they would improve educational outcomes in a declining system such as Fairfax.

At the end of the day, allowing charter schools as an alternative choice in a functioning school system such as Fairfax is just presenting another option for success. Its largely driven by individuals and ideologies that fully believe in public education - and that views charters as an alternative to vouchers for private and religious schools to complement and relieve the burden on public education. These are the same groups who continue to recognize that school budgets cannot continue to grow endlessly.

The reality is that creating charter schools will provide models for the existing public schools to use to improve, thereby improving public education across the county. Legacy public schools will change to compete. Functioning inclusive public school systems such as Fairfax's have been part of the US' economic success, and will continue to do so with the addition of charter schools.

Education is one of the areas where we all benefit - a better workforce grows the economy, produces a working democracy, solves problems. That's why the US has viewed this as something we do together for and with each other through a public school system. Fairfax is an example of where schools can be improved by implementing charter schools, as other urban school systems have successfully done.

The answer is to recognize that funding for our county schools cannot increase at the rate desired by the current administration and school board - as we also need to pay for our other infrastructure such as roads. The key to that, since significant more money is not about to appear from Richmond or the feds, is to find other alternatives to the status quo - of which charter schools is just one proven solution. That's what our elected officials should be concentrating on.

Our teachers, students and families deserve a choice - with choice being one of the key tenets of the Democrats who run this county. True dogma.

Well said.

Best explanation of why we should build charter schools now. Low cost. Low risk. High potential reward.

If charter schools are not needed, no one will apply. But we know better.

Best explanation Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Best explanation of why we should build charter
> schools now. Low cost. Low risk. High potential
> reward.

Exactly the opposite

High cost - would take money from our existing underfunded schools

High risk - loosening standards would likely lead to highly variable performance with little evidence that many would out perform the existing schools. Poaching of key staff, model students and engaged parents would weaken currently strong schools and programs

Low potential reward - we already have a high functioning system



Looking at the US news rankings of schools in VA

#1 TJ
#2 Langley
#3 Woodson
#4 Mclean
#6 Oakton
#7 Madison
#10 Fairfax

7 of the top 10 schools in the state are in Fairfax

Just because some right wingers have a distaste of civil society, why would we want to replace that with some random poorly deregulated set of schools run by zealots?

So, I should reduce funding to successful schools to fund some Koch/ALEC fantasyland of christian academies and for-profits?

Could our schools be improved? sure. But there is scant applicable evidence that privatization would be an effective way to do it

There you go again! Antagonizing those who you, obviously, want to persuade. When will you learn?

no to charters in FX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just because some right wingers have a distaste of
> civil society, why would we want to replace that
> with some random poorly deregulated set of schools
> run by zealots?

Not all charters would be sponsored and run by fundies and zealots, but that's clearly the door that right-wing rubes are intending to open. Voucher schools totally failed and are now a dead idea, so let's move on to charter schools instead. These are simply reactionary people who are afraid of modernity.

> So, I should reduce funding to successful schools
> to fund some Koch/ALEC fantasyland of christian
> academies and for-profits?

That's their plan. Turn education over to the hard-core corporate right-wing. Let's appeal to and inculcate the very worst sorts of thinking in our society.

These are basically state-hating sociopaths. Poorly educated themselves, they don't really value education at all.

As long as Fairfax parents and the school board continue to drink the Kool-Aid myth that FCPS provides a better education than the competition, there is no hope for improving our education system, whether that be by charter schools, vouchers, or school choice initiatives.

Even when their kids return home after failing a semester or two in college these people blame the students, not their HS education. They don't question why out-of-state students in Virginia state colleges and universities are doing so much better than FCPS students, even though the competition to get in to these schools from out of state is much lower than from here.

Remember the FCPS "model student" initiative? The kid with the B average. It was dropped when all those FCPS B students were found to be not ready for college.

Example: Most FCPS students will graduate without ever writing a properly researched paper of more than five pages.

But go ahead... Keep repeating how well our schools are doing as other states and private schools leave us in their dust.

as long as Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Even when their kids return home after failing a
> semester or two in college these people blame the
> students, not their HS education. They don't
> question why out-of-state students in Virginia
> state colleges and universities are doing so much
> better than FCPS students, even though the
> competition to get in to these schools from out of
> state is much lower than from here.
>


All I know is that my older high schooler is taking a strong course load with a good set of APs and is doing very well in SATs and ACTs - and that much of that is down to the quality of education and opportunities that she's received in FCSPS

I may be wrong but I thought that AP,SAT and ACT were external benchmarks

As far as I can tell she has a rounded social life and is enjoying taking part in sports both at school and outside

She seems better prepared for college that I ever was. She's learned to work hard, has a good set of values and knows how to relax and have fun. Again, as far as I can tell most of her HS friends are in a similar position

Guess she's one of your failing FCPS students then

FCPS has served her well throughout her career in ES, MS and HS

Thank you FCPS!

^^^ Talk to us after you helicopter her resume to all your favorite colleges and she has been at one for a year.

Unless you are Asian, in which case, FOR GOD"S SAKE STAY AWAY FROM GUNS!

I am probably more typical than the wonder child whose parent posted above.

FCPS provided me a typical education, and I know that I will have a roof over my head and three square meals a day for the rest of my life.

A big thank you to West Springfield High School.

Shaki E. Phillip

Hey Shaki - Say hi to Justin for us!