Charter schools are indeed fully public schools. They can be closed down by the state board for any number of reasons, and a few have been. In this way, they are quite a bit more accountable than traditional schools in districts. They cetainly cannot teach a ciriculum that is not approved in advance, and thus will not be anymore jingoistically WASP than, say, your typical school ciriculum (small comfort that this is).
As for the fragmentation of education: I realize that many people see schools as a place where the "melting pot" first forms -- where everyone goes through the same process, and this builds community and citizenship. We're all together, after all.
But yet, it goes without saying that we are all different people. Unlike a factory assembly line, where Ford Trucks can all be welded together the same way, our kids respond differently to different things.
That is why the Saint Paul School District, set up as it is on very traditional lines, has so many different kinds of schools. Montessory (Hill), Expo, Open, Adams Spanish Immersion, Museum ... the list is very long. There is a lot of choice in there probably because parents demand it. And parents demand it because their kids all learn in different ways.
Yes, I do think that it is possible to meet the learning needs of all but those with special needs under one ciriculum. But the traditional ciriculum ain't it, IMHO. My kids go to Expo, which teaches that there are "multiple intelligences", or translated from edu-speak, "kids all learn differently". It's a founding principle. And they have a lot of proof that it works, too.
So, since there are these different opinions and different kids, we have different schools. A lot are under one umbrella as Saint Paul ISD 625. Some are under the different umbrella of the State Board. But they are all public, all accountable, and none can teach religion or tolerate bad behavior.
The world of beverages isn't just coke and pepsi -- it includes milk, OJ, and a lot of other things. The world of education used to be a world with just one flavor, and now there are many. I see this as a good thing.
Erik Hare [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.comcast.net/~wabbitoid/ Irvine Park, West End, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, North America, Earth
Fine Amish furniture, cedar chests, and crafts http://www.harmonycedar.com
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