Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

Aren’t Charter Advocates Using a Double Standard?

September 12, 2006 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

So charter school advocates now say that data from the 2003 National Assessment of Educational Progress showing that charter schools trail behind public schools in student achievement “represent a snapshot at one point in time, with no consideration of students’ prior academic achievement” (“Reanalysis of NAEP Scores Finds Charter Schools Lagging,” Aug. 30, 2006.)

Excuse me, but isn’t it precisely this kind of “snapshot” data that charter school advocates, voucher advocates, and public school critics generally have used for decades to hammer public schools and condemn them as failures?

What hypocrites!

Gerald W. Bracey

Alexandria, Va.

A version of this article appeared in the September 13, 2006 edition of Education Week as Aren’t Charter Advocates Using a Double Standard?

Events

School Climate & Safety K-12 Essentials Forum Strengthen Students’ Connections to School
Join this free event to learn how schools are creating the space for students to form strong bonds with each other and trusted adults.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Standards-Based Grading Roundtable: What We've Achieved and Where We're Headed
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Creating Confident Readers: Why Differentiated Instruction is Equitable Instruction
Join us as we break down how differentiated instruction can advance your school’s literacy and equity goals.
Content provided by Lexia Learning

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 31, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 17, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education In Their Own Words The Stories That Stuck With Us, 2023 Edition
Our newsroom selected five stories as among the highlights of our work. Here's why.
4 min read
102523 IMSE Reading BS
Adria Malcolm for Education Week