D.C. Public Charter School Board Revokes the Charter of Kamit Institute for Magnificent Achievers
Contact: Audrey Williams 202-328-2748
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Washington, D.C. — The D.C. Public Charter School Board (PCSB) voted unanimously on August 11, 2010, to revoke the charter of Kamit Institute for Magnificent Achievers Public Charter School (KIMA). After a thorough analysis of the school’s performance over the past ten years, the Board said it did not have the faith in the school’s leadership to improve the school’s performance. “I don’t have the confidence going forward that we have a governing body that would put this school on the trajectory where it should be,” said Brian Jones, PCSB Board Chair.
At the start of the meeting, Chairman Jones reviewed the statutorily-mandated process in the School Reform Act that the Board followed in reaching its decision. Before voting on the revocation, Chairman Jones explained: “We took very seriously this process from the beginning. The PCSB provided at least three years of recommendations for improvement and support to the KIMA Board of Trustees and school leaders regarding its curriculum, instruction, governance, attendance, and truancy. We looked at the school’s standardized test scores over the years and believe the dismal academic results are indicative of the school’s overall lackluster performance,” he said.
Other Board members echoed similar sentiments. “As a Board, we would not be doing our job with a decade of evidence if we failed to act. A decade of not showing improvement is a disservice to the students,” said Darren Woodruff.
This is the PCSB’s sixth revocation as a charter authorizer. Ten other charter schools have chosen to relinquish their charters rather than undergo the revocation process.
The D.C. Public Charter School Board currently oversees 53 public charter schools on 95 campuses, serving approximately 28,000 students living in every ward of the city. Public charter schools now serve 38% of all public school students in Washington, DC.
The D.C. Public Charter School Board currently oversees 53 public charter schools on 95 campuses, serving approximately 28,000 students living in every ward of the city. Public charter schools now serve 38% of all public school students in Washington, DC.