More Eyes Needed To Keep Watch On The Charter School Industry

More Eyes Needed To Keep Watch On The Charter School Industry

More Eyes Needed To Keep Watch On The Charter School Industry

Our oversight is “proactive and responsive.”
– José Cole-Gutiérrez, LAUSD Charter School Division

The number of charter schools is growing rapidly. Just three years ago the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) reported that it was “the largest district charter school authorizer in the nation, with about 250 independent and affiliated charter schools serving over 130,000 students.” Today, there are about 320 charter schools being overseen by the district. With the state ignoring the request for a temporary moratorium and the board unwilling to enforce their own, the number of these publicly funded private schools will only increase.

As much as the Charter School Division (CSD) aspires to being “proactive” in its oversight, the fact is that they are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of schools that operate under its jurisdiction. Since the money provided by the state does not cover the full cost of providing proper supervision, the district cannot provide the appropriate staffing to ensure that charters are operating within the bounds of the law. As a result, even a school like Granada Hills Charter High School, which is larger than 86% of all school districts nationwide, does not have one person from the CSD who is dedicated to their oversight. Instead, the designated staff member must split his time between several other schools.

Of course, the situation is made worse by the politicization of the school board. The California Charter School Association spends CONTINUE READING: More Eyes Needed To Keep Watch On The Charter School Industry