Letters to the Editor

To the Editor:

The National Education Association's president, Bob Chase, just doesn't get it ( "Which Charters Are Smarter?," Commentary, Dec. 4, 1996 ). His view of charter schools is badly distorted by the all-too-familiar "them and us" perspective that pervades his union's philosophy. "One camp seeks to reform and revitalize public schools, while the other seeks to dismantle them through tuition vouchers and privatization." Both of these camps may exist in Washington, where "either/or" is a constant, but for the parents and teachers who create and operate charter schools in communities across America the agenda is quite different and far less contentious. The goal is simply to provide a high-quality education for their children, which the evidence, provided by their children's experience in their local schools, has convinced them is not available in those settings.

What is it these parents want? Survey after survey has made it abundantly clear. Parents want: (1) academic learning to take precedence over the numerous social activities schools have all too willingly given priority; (2) unrelenting attention to student achievement in reading, writing, and computation; (3) orderly, safe, and disciplined schools with well-managed classrooms; (4) involvement in the decisions that affect their children's values and futures; (5) civil and effective relationships with the people who have an impact on their child's education. These are not unreasonable expectations and should not be any more difficult to implement than "cooperative learning," "whole language," "authentic assessment," "outcomes-based education," or any of the other esoteric "reforms" that trivialize...