Tougher rules for charter schools?Conference aims to improve their academic performanceBy Scott Elliott Dayton Daily News COLUMBUS It's been seven years since Ohio unfurled the sails and released the anchor for charter schools, and the question now is whether they remain on course and how much the ropes need to be tightened down. The charter school promise of freedom — a release from oppressive rules and a mandate to try new ideas — is delicately balanced against the need to ensure schools teach students effectively, Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, said Thursday.And mixed charter test performance is forcing a tilt toward tougher rules. "Autonomy has begun to vanish," Husted said, calling academic performance the No. 1 issue facing charter schools. "In the name of accountability, we are beginning to regulate, regulate, regulate in a way so that they are losing much of their autonomy." Husted was among several high profile figures in the charter school movement, both from Ohio and nationally, who gathered in Columbus for a conference exploring what it will take to make charter school performance improve. The conference was sponsored by the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation. Gov. Bob Taft also spoke, reaffirming his support for charters but also saying, as he did in October, that low performers should be closed. "The best way to assure the charter school option remains strong and viable is a rigorous quality control program, timely intervention and support," Taft said. Ohio's 279 charter schools serve about 70,000 kids, or about 3 percent of the state's schoolchildren. Charters are free public schools, that are tax-funded, but independently run and released from many state rules in return for the promise of better performance. But so far, that performance has lagged overall. Fordham, a national advocate for charters, reports 60 percent of Ohio charter schools are rated in "academic emergency," the lowest of five state rankings. Some charter critics say that number is even higher. Dayton is the nation's top charter school market, with 22 percent of all schoolchildren attending 33 charter schools, all of which have opened since 1998. Moderating a session on how districts can use charters to improve performance, Dayton school board President Gail Littlejohn said she was concerned about three aspects of charters — big business, finance and politics. Littlejohn said she was worried that corporate-run charter school chains were turning education into too much of a business. She said competition forces financial choices, such as the need for schools to spend money on advertising and marketing. Littlejohn also said politics is an issue, pointing to the defeat last week of her school board ally Doniece Gatliff. "You can't always count on voters to do what you need them to do," she said. "We had double digit test score gains. You'd have thought we'd all win without any problem." Another session, moderated by longtime Dayton educator and consultant T.J, Wallace, focused on schools that specialize in dropouts. Ann Higdon, superintendent of the ISUS Trade and Tech Prep High School, said it always find ways to meet student needs. This year, ISUS has started up health care and manufacturing programs. "We're continually changing what we do to get a better result every year," she said. Contact Scott Elliott at 225-2485. | 
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