school for me does not start in the classroom my lessons begin the minute i leave my house my commute now shapes my identity in ways i never imagined when i decided to attend high school in the heart of chicago an education that starts with morning rhythms through its unholy partnership with high stakes testing the charter school movement has diverted our attention from the real issues confronting us and discouraged genuine innovation and reform to paraphrase einstein charter schools are to experimentation as military music is to music reflections of an octogenarian viii charter schools old pepsi aka the new coke