Charter schools, a study and John Curry's take on it

Article published November 23, 2005
Charters found to have more minorities
By IGNAZIO MESSINABLADE STAFF WRITER

Charter schools nationwide serve a larger percentage of minority and low-income students than do traditional public schools, according to a study released yesterday by the University of Washington.
The researchers noted that their findings were partly because charters schools remain a predominantly urban phenomenon. The study also found that a key factor to the success of charter schools is a strong authorizing agency.

The study found that 59 percent of Ohio charter school students are minorities, compared to 50 percent minority enrollment in traditional public schools in communities where charter schools are located.

The leaders of Ohio's two largest charter school sponsors agreed with the findings.

"The one thing we see that most of our students have in common is that the families feel some sense of disenfranchisement from the traditional school systems," said Allison Perz, executive director of the Toledo-based Ohio Council of Community Schools. The agency sponsors 46 schools statewide.

Since the first 15 charter schools opened in Ohio in 1998, the number has grown to 250 statewide, enrolling 65,000 students.

"I agree that the [sponsor], just as district administrators, plays a very pivotal role in charter school success," Ms. Perz said.

Both the Ohio Council of Community Schools and the Lucas County Educational Service Center, which sponsors 103 charter schools statewide, have committed to holding their schools more accountable.

Last month, the service center governing board closed the oldest and largest charter school in Cleveland because of a long list of problems there, including missing taxpayer money and low test scores.

Of the Ohio charter schools that received achievement rankings last year, most were ranked in the bottom two categories of the state's five-tier rating system for academic performance.

Frank Stoy, a regional consultant for the service center, said all charter schools in Ohio will face more scrutiny.

"The most important thing in this study is that one of the driving forces behind charter schools is the parent demand for new options for groups of students who have been less well served," Mr. Stoy said. "People don't start these schools because they are fun - it's market-driven."

My take on this issue:

The first reality concerning charter schools is they are primarily in business to make a profit for their investors and CEO's. Secondly, these schools tend to "pop up" in economically depressed areas where poverty is commonplace. The students and their families in these areas suffer from high crime rates, high unemployment, and a general atmosphere of hopelessness. Many of these students can't or don't survive in the public schools because of poor attendance, poor parenting skills, and run-ins with the juvenile court system. They feel helpless,these students and their families are looking for a "better way of life" - it's very understandable. Sure, there are some success stories by students growing up under these conditions, and I admire them- but there aren't many. The students in the Los Alamos Public Schools in New Mexico have some of the highest test results in the United States- they also have the highest per capita rate of PhD's per 1,000 in this country and a high standard of living. Many of the people living in Ohio's rust belt inner cities where many charter schools are blossoming aren't so fortunate- neither are their test results. However in these same rust belt inner cities, the public schools religiously test all of their students - unlike their neighboring charter schools.

These students are a prime target for a snake oil salesman pitch of individualized attention, a computer at the hands of every student, and excellent grades. What these charter school students, their parents, and the state have discovered is that when it comes time to take the state proficiency tests- many don't. This is no accident, the people in charge know that these students will-for the most part- not be able to produce results equal to or better than their peers is the same neighborhoods who attend public schools. The charter school administrators and their "CEO boards of education" (neither of whom are accountable to the public) know that the only way to save face from public scrutiny is to see to it that a priority is not devoted to standardized testing. Up to now, they weren't forced on the issue.

Thanks to a few courageous investigative reporters from a handful of Ohio newspapers, the public has finally begun to understand what a false bill of goods has been sold to them by a handful of 21st Century carpet-baggers with visions of government dollar signs in their eyes and a good sales pitch . The public is finally beginning to realize that their tax dollars (109 million of them last year) have gone to a corporations that they have little or no control over. It has gotten so bad, that even the ethically challenged governor of this state has had his hand forced to speak out against these abuses of public tax monies. Even some in the legislature are beginning to become vocal about the abuses charters have imposed upon the taxpaying public. Some of these legislators do have a conscience - even though many of them have had their campaign coffers lined handsomely by the CEO's of the very same charter schools they are now suddenly interested in scrutinizing. This situation has degraded to the point where legislative action forcing charters to be more accountable has finally been realized.

Mr Stoy stated that these charters were "started" because they are "market-driven." I say they are started because they are greed-driven and the people who started them have found an easy way to fool the public by side-stepping accountability while lining their wallets at the same time. Of course, and this article doesn't state it, the "sponsor" of the charter school gets 3% of the charter's larder. Methinks the term "carpet bagger" also applies (in this case) to any public school board who participates in profiteering by diverting public monies to private enterprise. This charter school fleecing party is about to end in the State of Ohio - charters will either become accountable or they'll become history.

John, a Proud CORE member