Charter schools in the news

(and where in the news has been a hot topic: this was a front page story in the New York Times; it (or most of it) made A4 in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, but apparently, the Boston Globe buried it on p.10. If you want to have that conversation, you can find it here. )

Front page story in the New York Times yesterday:

But for all their support and cultural cachet, the majority of the 5,000 or so charter schools nationwide appear to be no better, and in many cases worse, than local public schools when measured by achievement on standardized tests, according to experts citing years of research. Last year one of the most comprehensive studies, by researchers from Stanford University, found that fewer than one-fifth of charter schools nationally offered a better education than comparable local schools, almost half offered an equivalent education and more than a third, 37 percent, were “significantly worse.”

Is there any hope that this will mean we can all have a real conversation now about who is educating what kids using how much money?

And I should note that the New York state legislature is taking up debate on a lifting of the charter cap today, per a second round Race to the Top application.