The Failure of Charter Schools

I posted this on another Internet site and though I'd post it on my blog also.


The Failure of Charter Schools


I am a retired educator, so have no vested interest in public education at this point in my life. I'm going to offend some people, but the charter school movement in Arizona, where I live, was pushed by right wingers who were going to reform public education. Public education, for all its strengths and weaknesses, can always use some reform. Charters were going to come in and be much superior to every public school. That's at least the bill of good Arizona was sold. Millions were spent on charters. Any one could start one and corruption was rampant. The outcome was that with outstanding students, you had outstanding charter schools, with average students you have an average charter school and with below average students you have a below average charter school. I watched statistics for years and there were no charter schools in Arizona that could take below average students and turn them into college prep material. In their avowed aim, charter schools failed. No only have they failed, they have been a miserable failure. That doesn't mean there aren't good charter schools, or that people should pull their kids out of charter schools. There are just not revolutionary charter schools as was promised. Charter schools were not a panacea. The concept failed in that sense.


There is nothing particular magic about teaching and no silver bullets. If you have motivated students and involved parents, you'll have learning and successes in most of the worst of schools. For public school personnel, the one blessing of charter schools is that some intrepid souls tried to teach kids who couldn't make it in a public school. Many of these kids are not stupid, they have a hard time learning in a class of 28 (or 30, 35 or 40!). They could function on a charter school computer where they could work at their own pace. They didn't become geniuses, but some could finish school where they wouldn't have otherwise. Of course, a charter school doesn't have to keep a student it doesn't want (at least in Arizona), so often times these kids would just drop out. 


I'd be very careful about which charter school I'd send my children to and would investigate what they do at that school very thoroughly. I had a grandson who went to an advanced placement charter school. It was wonderful for him and he did well. Everyone he associated with there did well, but of course there were academic standards students had to meet just to get in. If a public school could do that instead of having to take every one who walks through the front door, the public school would be outstanding also.


The great secret here and the great variable is how involved the parent ares. If you, as the parent, stay involved and on top of your child's education, provide learning opportunities at home (books!), your children are likely to do very well wherever they attend school. Most parents in low performing schools don't do that. It's usually tied to socioeconomics. Note that almost all "excellent" schools that get awards are in high socioeconomic areas. If we were truly measuring the value of a school and the quality of the teaching, we'd measure progress during the school year, not just whether the scores at a school were high or low. If we measured that way, many award winning schools wouldn't be doing so well.


It is a well know fact that Utah schools are high performing because families are strong and parents are involved in their children's education. That's the reason Utah can get away with underfunding their schools and still have great outcomes.


Anyway, good luck with the decisions you have to make. Mine is only one opinion (but the correct opinion!). Stay involved with your children's education!