You probably by now have come across Steven Brill's New York Times Sunday Magazine cover story "The Teachers' Union Last Stand" (I'll refrain from comment on the title). Brill compares a charter and a public school sharing the same building: "Same building. Same community. Sometimes even the same parents. And the classrooms have almost exactly the same number of students. In fact, the charter school averages a student or two more per class."
But guess what? Not the same kids.
Know what I would really like to see? I would like to see one of these vaunted charter schools be required to take over a Level 4 school lock stock and barrel. Just like the Feds want. Force them to take the school as is with the same student body. No lottery to enroll. Take the same four hundred poor kids and immigrants and have three years to turn it all around. I'd love to see it, but never will because they would never do it. They won't be able to fix the game before playing.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteJim, well stated! You're right on the money.
Why can't people see the issue so clearly, the parents of students who choose charter schools, normally have more positive motivations (social, family, money, opportunities, etc), and the remaining students in public schools have less funding for direct education as there are more special needs resources required, and often a lack of positive societal/parental forces too.