Thoughtful Op-Ed on Charters in WA State
A.G. Rud, the dean of the College of Education at Washington State University, and Ken Zeichner, professor of Teacher Education at UW, have written a quiet op-ed reviewing the most important ideas in enacting charters in Washington State.
They express the concern, based on fact, that some of the more successful charter models have a "stripped down" curriculum that focuses on the basics but has little else for a well-rounded student.
A lean curriculum focused only on improving standardized test scores is common among schools run by charter-management organizations elsewhere in the country. As documented by prominent education historian Larry Cuban, franchise-school operators such as Rocketship often target low-income communities and offer a stripped-down version of schools that most charter advocates would not want for their own children.
They also offer these recommendations (and they are valid - transparency and accountability are key):
They express the concern, based on fact, that some of the more successful charter models have a "stripped down" curriculum that focuses on the basics but has little else for a well-rounded student.
A lean curriculum focused only on improving standardized test scores is common among schools run by charter-management organizations elsewhere in the country. As documented by prominent education historian Larry Cuban, franchise-school operators such as Rocketship often target low-income communities and offer a stripped-down version of schools that most charter advocates would not want for their own children.
They also offer these recommendations (and they are valid - transparency and accountability are key):