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| Reading, writing, and math Median Growth Patterns (MGPs) for Colorado's TCAP test. These charts demonstrate that the majority of charter schools are, in fact, performing higher than direct-run public schools. |
But what happens when charter schools, the solution to failing education systems, fail to serve students justly? After all, charter and innovation schools are largely experimental, and in the real world, trial and error is a huge part of experimentation. Unfortunately, when it comes to education, trial and error is dangerous. This is why the application process to create a charter school is so rigorous. However, sometimes even the best ideas on paper don't make it in the real world, and sometimes charter schools fail to prepare students academically. And in these situations, it isn't right to allow these institutions to continue serving students.
Alyssa Whitehead-Bust, Chief Academic and Innovation Officer at Denver Public Schools, goes as far as to say that allowing these schools to continue operating is "unjust." In these cases, she says, it is necessary, although extremely unfortunate, for the schools to be closed. But closing a school is the last step in a process of remediation, taken only if the school fails to bring its performance up over time. And when it does occur, it can only happen if the students currently enrolled in the school have access to seats in other high-performing schools. Whitehead-Bust insists that closing a failing school and sending its students to another failing school is just as wrong.
Therefore, closing down charter schools is almost as difficult as opening them - and who knows which has higher stakes. Charter schools might be a temporary solution to education reform; most of the time they perform at drastically higher levels than their public counterparts, and only in the rarest occasions do they perform below standards. However, privately governed institutions can't be the answer to a civil right.
In Whitehead-Bust's words, choice is designed to "level the playing field" for students who currently live in zones with underperforming public schools, but she adds that they are only a temporary solution. Charter schools are necessary right now in providing as many students as possible with a decent education while we work to fix the public school system. The endgame? For 100% of students in the district to have a seat in a high-performing public school.
The problem is, now we have to figure out how to do that.
Eliza,
ReplyDeleteI have greatly appreciated your last 2 entries. Your reflections and the questions you leave us to ponder are compelling. I wonder how we could merge the ideas of care, articulated by Phil and Sir with the ideas articulated by OSRI today? Is it feasible to care from a systematic level and ground level space? What would this shared investment look like? What are the possibilities in ensuring that our public education system is innovative, empowering, and radical for ALL?
Keep up the great thinking and sharing!
Tina
Eliza,
ReplyDeleteI too am stumped by the role charter schools play in education and whether or not they are permanent establishments. I wonder if charters do well what traditional schools cannot because they are not influenced by many of the requirements that districts instill in traditional schools. I also wonder what would happen if we leveled the political playing field for schools to operate with the autonomy charters do and if all students would demonstrate growth. It is also important to question if the reason charter schools are successful is because they are in gentrified neighborhoods and how geographical location contributes to success. Ravitch does a great job pointing out that the reason many schools are failing is because they are affected by greater systemic issues and not just issues in teaching and leadership. What do you think about this?
Thank you for pioneering this conversation, it is really pushing my thinking around charters,
Amelia
Eliza-
ReplyDeleteI am am also wondering many of the same things about charter schools that you mention in your post. With charter school failure I also wonder how do we approach the failure in education. Yes, it is unjust to have operating schools that do not prepare students but how do we learn from the failure of these schools? I think all school must be succeeding in some areas but are we recognizing those things and building off them? You say, trial and error is dangerous when it come to education but what alternative do you suggest? How do we know what will and will not work? Don't we have to try things? I personally think the reason it is so dangerous is often that we let failure prolong for so long and we don't address issues in schools sooner. Failure is unavoidable but it is how we use and learn from our failures that makes failure so detrimental. I enjoyed reading your post! -Hannah