Indiana charter schools fail to succeed
EducationJan 18, 2011
The charter school hype never ceases to bear bitter fruit. Take the state of Indiana. Nearly 23,000 students attend 62 tuition-free, public charter schools in Indiana. Under Indiana law, the mayor of Indianapolis can authorize charter schools and he has sponsored about 20. Another three are authorized by traditional public schools in Lafayette and Evansville, Indiana. Ball State University is another authorizer. Of the nearly 40 public charter schools authorized by Ball State University (BSU), the university has placed 23 percent on probation and required 10 percent to take corrective action. Another 10 percent either withdrew their charter or had it revoked by the university. The grand total of delinquent or questionable charters is thus 43%. Many of these schools include an emphasis on military-like discipline, tough love, character development and zero-