Myth: Charter Schools take money and resources away from public schools.
With bipartisan support for charters going strong the House Education & Labor Committee earlier this week welcomed the beginning of the 10th Annual National Charter Schools Week and highlighted the success of these innovative public schools.
Youve no doubt heard it and seen it and for the past 9 years advocates of all kinds have used this week to remind the public and policymakers that charters are changing American education. To do that we recall - and answer - some of the most common myths circulating.
Check out the daily mythbusters and access more tools and information to understand what the movement that Time Magazine once called A Grassroots Revolt.
Schools and supporters throughout the country are celebrating these innovative schools of choice. Even Capitol Hill and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue are in on the festivities. Spread the word.
Charter School Mythbusters #1
There are too many lousy charters out there."
While one bad school is one too many in any sector some who suggest lousy charters exist do so with the purest of intentions but often the faultiest of data. They believe that by standing up for quality and against poor performance they are demonstrating a commitment to accountability and avoiding a kind of double standard" criticism by the establishment who get offended when reformers say too many conventional public schools are failing. If they admit publicly that their own movement has flaws and undertake what they believe are corrections then policymakers and opponents will take the charter concept seriously see them as serious reformers and good policies as well as eventually only good schools will exist.
But saying there are bad charter schools without an intensive look at data below the surface of even what publicly released AYP scores say and do ignores their real progress and achievement. And isolating the purpose of charter schools to only one of their three intended effects quality schooling ignores the other major two and equally important effects charters were created to address: parent choice and competition.
Charter School Mythbusters #2
Charter Schools take money and resources away from public schools.
Taking money away" is a misnomer. When kids leave systems that do not meet their needs money should leave. But its not leaving public education its just moving to meet the publics needs in a different way.
When a child attends a charter school they are attending another legally created public school which a states education revenues are intended to support. And when money follows a child other public schools in that state benefit from the renewed focus that money changing hands brings about the idea that schools are set up for the benefit of students and that their needs should drive services not the other way around.
Charter schools which are granted flexibility from state and local regulations in exchange for greater accountability for student achievement have had an especially prominent impact in many of the nations largest cities and in the school districts facing some of the greatest challenges. Charter schools in the District of Columbia for example have proven immensely popular for many families who were dealing with underperforming schools high dropout rates and a lack of accountability.
Charter schools have been providing greater choice and flexibility for Americas families since 1994 and have been serving a higher percentage of low-income and minority students than the traditional public school system" said McKeon. By strengthening parental choice enhancing flexibility for states and local school districts and encouraging reform we can greatly improve our nations educational system."
This week Congress will commemorate National Charter Schools Week with a bipartisan resolution which serves to acknowledge and commend charter schools and their students parents teachers and administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education and improving and strengthening our public school system."
According to the Center for Education Reform as of January 2009 there are more than 4500 charter schools serving more than 1.4 million children in 40 states and the District of Columbia. Lawmakers should look no further than the charter sector for an abundance of public school success" says Jeanne Allen president of the Center for Education Reform. Strong charter laws provide flexibility and freedom in exchange for accountability which are the key ingredients for student achievement."
For more information on Republican efforts to expand parental choice in education including efforts to replicate high-performing charter schools please visit the Education and Labor Committee Republican
website.
SHARE THE LOVE. For parents teachers and friends of charter schools who want to shout your support from the rooftops - or your ride - during National Charter Schools Week May 3-9 -
order your bumper stickers today!
