Jeanne Massey wrote: > Charter schools serve kids who may be falling between the > cracks of our education system. Moreover, charter schools, > by law, do not charge tuition, have no religious > affiliation, nor have selective student admissions. In these > ways, they are distinct from private schools. They are also > accountable in theory to their sponsoring district for educational > outcomes.
Charter schools are accountable, not just in theory, but in reality. The MPS can withdraw a charter that it grants, as it has done in the past (although not necessarily in a fair and prudent manner). Charter schools are required to administer the State's achievement tests and report scores as are all public schools. Charter schools are also subject to the requirements of the No Child Left Behind law just as are other public schools. Perhaps Ms. Massey can show how they are not accountable? > HOWEVER, I also think we need to be cognizant of the > "privatizing" agenda charter schools increasingly serve and > in the shifting of public moneys to less than accountable schools. Here's that word again, "privatization." Please explain how PUBLIC charter schools serve this hypothetical agenda. How are charter schools less accountable than other public schools? > There are very justifiable concerns about accountability and > the quality and viability of charter schools, and these should > be primary concerns of the Mpls District. These issues may require > changes in the way charter school are established and operate. This is once again an illusionary problem. Public charter schools are required, as I pointed out above, to report the same measures of achievement as traditional public schools. They are also required to submit financial audits to the State. Some are late with these audits as has been reported by the Tribune, but there is no evidence of corruption and the schools' sponsors can always withdraw their support if there is. There is no lack of accountability, only a lack of oversight (which is fairly easy to correct). What is clear is that traditional public school administrators are uncomfortable with schools that are beyond their ability to dictate mediocrity. This is really all about money and power, not educational quality. > Should charter schools, if they receive per pupil funding, be more > accountability to our district (as Representative Entenza > advocates) and pay teachers prevailing wages in the district? Ah ha! Here is the crux of the problem. Charter schools are not controlled by the teachers' unions. Charter school teachers have the right to unionize, but most decline. Are charter school teachers complaining about their pay scales? Not that I have heard. In fact, in some cases charter school teachers may do better than union teachers. > Should charter schools be more closely linked to the district > they serve (or remain directly a part of it) without jeopardizing > their purpose - providing smaller settings, and more specialized > curriculum and community involvement than larger schools traditionally > do? Should teachers be hired from and remain part of the District's > teacher pool? This is oxymoronic. Of course charter schools cannot be more closely linked to traditional school districts without jeopardizing their purpose! The concept of charters is place them outside the dysfunctional dictates of traditional public schools. If the traditional administrators want to create smaller schools with more specialized curriculum and community involvement they have always been free to do so, they just haven't been very successful. All of the recent press and lobbying against charters is no more than a veiled attempt to bring them back within control of the unions and the school boards. Until the Minneapolis Public Schools provide me with a reasonable school choice for my children, I think they should keep their bureaucracy out of the charter school movement. Michael Atherton Prospect Park REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
