Sunday, April 8, 2012

Anniston Star - Bob Davis Measuring charter schools’ impact in a Texas town

Anniston Star - Bob Davis Measuring charter schools’ impact in a Texas town:


Bob Davis: Measuring charter schools’ impact in a Texas town
Apr 08, 2012 | 409 views | 0 0 comments | 2 2 recommendations | email to a friend | print
The creation of charter schools in Alabama seemed to be on the minds of many in Anniston last week. Depending on who was doing the talking, these alternative public schools are either the solution of our educational woes or a hopeless act destined to make matters worse.

The answer, as is usually the case, lies somewhere in between. At times, this month’s debate in Montgomery over charter schools has missed that middle-of-the-road mark.

The experiences of the 41 states with charter schools show that some do excellent work in preparing students while others have struggled.

Perhaps we should start with some basics about charter schools. The concept grew out of a belief that burdensome rules, bureaucracy and one-size-fits-all standards were holding public schools back.

The proposed fix was to allow groups interested in doing things differently to apply to create


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