The Great Charter Charade
The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC) opened its editorial Sunday (October 7, 2012) with "Twenty years after the country’s first charter school opened in St. Paul, Minn., advocates are rightly pointing to the movement’s overwhelming success." The paper's endorsement is followed by a few other notable claims:
"One reason for charter schools’ popularity is their ability to be more innovative than traditional schools because they are given freedom from district rules. They are, however, still held accountable for student achievement and sound fiscal health....
"Competition is precisely what has been lacking in the public school system. Competition pushes educators to make improvements and changes, some of them dramatic....
"Studies differ on how well charter schools overall perform academically....
"Their numbers are one indication that charter schools play a key role in public education. Parent