4 things Mike Flanagan said about charter schools, at-risk authorizers
HOLLAND, MI - State Superintendent Mike Flanagan spoke with MLive Thursday, March 26, about the future of charter schools and his recent removal of seven authorizers from at-risk status.
Flanagan announced last August he was placing 11 of the state's 40 charter school authorizers on notice that could have prevented them from opening any additional schools. He cited low academic performance and transparency issues within the oversight.
Related: GVSU: Questions linger after charter schools office removed from at-risk of suspension list
This week Flanagan removed Grand Valley State University, Ferris State University,Muskegon Heights Public Schools, Lake Superior State University, Kellogg Community College, Macomb Intermediate School District, and Northern Michigan University.
"I really admire the ones we took off the list because they've taken it seriously," said the retiring Flanagan. "I know I got some president's attention, which was part of my motive."
Flanagan said the other four, Detroit Public Schools, the Education Achievement Authority, Highland Park Schools and Eastern Michigan University, "still have work to do." However, he has said they won't be suspended.
While visiting West Ottawa Public Schools, as part of his monthly district trips, Flanagan, who is retiring, shared the following thoughts about charters and the at-risk list.
• It's time to rethink the law that permits chargers to address quality education results, achievement and transparency, but the state should not do away with charters.
• Among transparency issues to address are buying and selling land and transparency of the charter management company.
• Flanagan defended the perception that he is against charter schools. "Sometimes 4 things Mike Flanagan said about charter schools, at-risk authorizers | MLive.com:
National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Group: 1 in 5 charter schools not doing well enough to stay open
A group that oversees more than half of the nation's 5,600 charter schools said
as many as one in five U.S. charter schools should be shut down because of
poor academic performance.
http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2019784379_charterschools29.html
as many as one in five U.S. charter schools should be shut down because of
poor academic performance.
http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2019784379_charterschools29.html
