"President Obama wants more good independent public charter schools. He also wants states and cities to close bad charter schools. Which charters in the District could we do without? Let's look at one, the Ideal Academy Public Charter School at 100 Peabody St. NW. It has been open for four years, long enough to show what it can do.
It is a high school with 96 students, according to Ideal instructional coordinator Pearline Humbles. It has small class sizes, no more than 18 students per teacher. I saw one math class with just five kids. It graduated its first senior class last spring.
Based on achievement tests, Ideal is one of the worst schools in the city.
Of the 31 sophomores who took the D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System test in math last spring, only 25.8 percent scored at the proficient level or above. Only 38.7 percent reached that level in reading. Among secondary schools, only six regular schools and two charter schools had lower math proficiency rates. Only 11 regular schools and three charters were worse in reading proficiency.
So why hasn't this school been closed, as the president suggested?"