Opinion
School Choice & Charters Letter to the Editor

‘Thoughtful Review’ Crucial for Decisions on Charters

September 18, 2012 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Baltimore, Md.

Your article about charter school closures raised some critically important questions (“Debate Revs Up Around Closing Low-Achieving Charter Schools,” Aug. 22, 2012).

Here in Maryland, we are saddled with a state law on charter school approval and renewal that is too vague and provides little useful guidance to the local school systems that make these crucial decisions.

But at the local level, the Baltimore city district, under the law the only charter school authorizer in Baltimore, is moving forward on the issue on its own. The school system, in partnership with nonprofit organizations and representatives of charter schools themselves, recently established a promising new process for evaluating and deciding whether to renew charter school contracts in Baltimore.

This new process will rely heavily on data and facts about each charter’s performance, coupled with qualitative observations. The Charter and New School Advisory Board—made up of school officials and community representatives—will make recommendations on renewals to the district’s leadership.

Having this kind of thoughtful review is critical. Baltimore’s 33 charters are an important part of our portfolio of school options and meet the needs of many families.

The bottom line is we must be transparent and rigorous in evaluating all Baltimore schools; we can’t afford to have any low performers. This new process can ensure that the city’s charter schools are each doing a great job of educating our children.

Nothing less should be acceptable—here in Baltimore or throughout the country.

Carol Beck

Director

Supporting Public Schools of Choice

Baltimore, Md.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the September 19, 2012 edition of Education Week as ‘Thoughtful Review’ Crucial for Decisions on Charters

Events

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
Rethinking STEM Assessment: Strategies for Administrators
School and district leaders will explore strategies to enhance STEM assessment practices across their district, within schools and classrooms.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Federal Webinar Keeping Up with the Trump Administration's Latest K-12 Moves: Subscriber-Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Math & Technology: Finding the Recipe for Student Success
How should we balance AI & math instruction? Join our discussion on preparing future-ready students.

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 How School Choice Complicates District Bond Elections
Families who transfer children out of their residential districts may be less likely to vote in bond elections, researchers find.
3 min read
Photograph of a person in jeans walking on a sidewalk and passing a yellow and black voting place sign in the grass.
E+
School Choice & Charters What to Know About the Private School Choice Program Moving Through Congress
A new federal program would offer up to $5 billion in tax credits a year to fuel private school attendance nationwide.
10 min read
Penelope Koutoulas holds signs supporting school choice in a House committee meeting on education during a special session of the state legislature Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.
Penelope Koutoulas holds signs supporting school choice in a House committee meeting on education during a special session of the state legislature Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. While a number of states, including Tennessee, have passed new programs funding private school tuition in recent years, the first major federal foray into private school choice is now making its way through Congress.
George Walker IV/AP
School Choice & Charters Then & Now The Trump Admin. Is Reviving This School Choice Option You've Never Heard Of
A little-known provision allows students to transfer out of schools deemed "persistently dangerous." Choice advocates say it's been underused.
8 min read
Image of two school buildings with cones, cameras.
Collage by Liz Yap for Education Week via Canva
School Choice & Charters Another Judge Rules Against Private School Choice. Here's Why
Utah's education savings accounts violate the state constitution by giving public funds to schools that exclude students, a judge ruled.
6 min read
Judge gavel on law books with statue of justice and court government background. concept of law, justice, legal.
iStock/Getty Images Plus