Charter schools' access, transparency are concerns
The topic of charter schools was in the spotlight at the 107th NAACP National Convention. A resolution calling for a moratorium on charter school expansion and for strengthening of governance and practice was passed at the 2016 convention and adopted by the NAACP Board of Directors. The NAACP board later created a Task Force on Quality Education.
I had the privilege of hearing directly from the task force at the NAACP 108th National Convention. The task force held public hearings in seven major cities and heard from proponents and opponents of charters in all hearings. After conducting these hearings, the task force released a report containing its findings and recommendations. The findings included several perceived problems with charters. They included but weren’t limited to: issues of access and retention, concerns about quality, and issues of accountability and transparency.
Some of these concerns have been echoed here in San Diego. I recently attended a San Diego County Board of Education meeting, and a community forum on charters. I am still perplexed and disturbed by what I witnessed at that board meeting. I attended a public hearing pertaining to the establishment of a charter school in Vista whose petition had been denied by the Vista Unified School District. In San Diego, a charter school whose petition has been denied by its local district can appeal to the county Board of Education. If the charter’s petition is also denied by the county, it can appeal to the state. This loss of local control by local school districts with regards to the authorization of charters is a concern that I have also heard in San Diego.
During the board meeting, I heard the superintendent of the district raise concerns about the demographics of the charter not reflecting those of the community, accessibility and the charter’s ability to meet the needs of students in the district. Despite those concerns, a board member gave a speech expressing strong support for the charter, the organization which manages the charter, and for charters in general. The superintendent’s concerns were dismissed by this board member, and the speech was met with a roaring applause from the charter’s supporters.
Had I only had access to the audio for the meeting, and not seen it with my own eyes, it would have been difficult to discern whether this individual was speaking as a board member or as a supporter for the charter, which is disturbing, as it was my understanding that the board is supposed to be neutral and impartial.
In addition, I heard concerns about the impact of charters, which are publicly funded schools that are usually privately operated, on traditional public school facilities, and the inability of local districts to take this impact into account when reviewing charter petitions. I also heard concerns raised about a lack of checks and balances for charters, safety concerns with regards to the individuals transporting charter students, and other concerns.
The concerns that have been raised, and the issues that have been brought to light regarding some charters continue to exist, as do concerns and issues with traditional public schools, which the NAACP has acknowledged. These concerns must be addressed, and these issues must be resolved, for both charters and traditional public schools.
It is simply irresponsible for the expansion of charters to continue with these issues being Continue reading: Charter schools' access, transparency are concerns - The San Diego Union-Tribune
