Opinion
School Choice & Charters Letter to the Editor

Book on Charter Schools Draws Mixed Reactions

April 26, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

As a charter operator and a member of the California Advisory Commission on Charter Schools, I read with great interest your article on the new Economic Policy Institute book on charter performance (“Book Faults Achievement in Charter Schools,” Commentary, April 6, 2005). The book asserts that, on average, charter schools do not outperform district schools.

While I would debate that conclusion, it is neither particularly relevant nor useful, even if true. School performance on average means little. The point is that charter schools give parents a choice in public schools. We should support the good ones and close down the low-performing ones after giving them a fair chance. It makes no sense to stop new charters or to dispense with the concept because some are worse than others.

Both charter and district public schools should have to perform to survive. No one is forcing parents to choose charter schools in such droves. I say no more security for schools not serving the public well.

Mark Kushner

San Francisco, Calif.

To the Editor:

I note, in your recent story, that “some charter school supporters” accused The Charter School Dust-Up of being biased. “Several also suggested” that the book was influenced by money from the American Federation of Teachers.

Why would these “some” and “several” not stand up and identify themselves? And why, in the absence of identification, would Education Week include this non-information?

Michael J. Petrilli of the U.S. Department of Education referred to the Economic Policy Institute as “the union think tank.” I wonder if Mr. Petrilli thinks of his former employer, the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, as “the corporation think tank.”

Did this comment and that of Nelson Smith, the president of the Charter School Leadership Council, actually deserve to see print?

Gerald W. Bracey

Alexandria, Va.

Related Tags:

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
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
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

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

School Choice & Charters Opinion White Parents Say They Want Diverse Schools, But Will They Send Their Kids?
Racial stereotypes and reluctance to be in a racial minority are part of the calculus of how white parents choose schools.
Kathleen Hayes & Cassandra Kaczocha
5 min read
Conceptual image of two circles of influence, with one much bigger than the other.
ajijchan/iStock/Getty and Laura Baker/EdWeek
School Choice & Charters Do Vouchers and ESAs Take Money From Public Schools? How States Fund School Choice
Republican state lawmakers have ramped up programs that dedicate public funds for parents to spend on their children’s private education.
7 min read
Illustration of a large hand inserting a coin into the top of a stack of books
iStock/Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion What Is an Education Savings Account, and Why Does It Matter?
ESAs shift us from a system of “school” choice to “educational” choice, opening the door to a system that offers more customizable options.
5 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters GOP Lawmakers Tout Choice as a Way Out of Failing Schools
Republicans in the U.S. House are using their majority to push for policies that would send public funds to private schools.
4 min read
Artistic image of multiple paths leading to a school building.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva