CER Letter to the Editor

SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION ON CHARTER SCHOOLS
By Jeanne Allen
Submitted to the New York Times, December 29, 2000

Dear Editor:

    The Times takes issue with the idea that charter schools are highly accountable public institutions in their December 28th editorial.

        First, they mix apples and oranges with their characterization of charters as a form of privatization. There is nothing about a charter school that makes it any less public than a traditional public school. While private citizens apply for charters and can serve as the governing board upon approval, this is not fundamentally different than a private citizen - regardless of qualification - running for a school board post that is normally voted on by less than 20% of the electorate. What is different is that a charter must perform to stay in business, whereas the traditional public school perpetuates, regardless of performance.

        As for the research the Times cites as finding problems in charters, both were summarily dismissed upon being released and reviewed by objective experts, and the California study was found to have fundamental biases.

        The real truth can be found when looking at the entire breadth of studies performed on charter schools since their inception. As of early November there had been 53 objective, valid research studies done about charter schools and of those, only three (including the one from California cited in the editorial) found negative effects of charters.

        The conclusion of the overwhelming majority (50) of these papers is that charter schools have been innovative, accountable, and successful and have created both opportunities for the children who attend them and a "ripple" effect on traditional public schools within their jurisdiction. A review of the two studies issued since November offer the same conclusions.

        New York City's Chancellor should be commended for rescuing failing schools from further business as usual and recruiting a proven, successful educational firm to help bring an end to educational failure in several schools. This arrangement is on the table only because the state has a charter school law - a law creating a "ripple effect" that has spurred long-overdue action on the part of city school officials.

Sincerely,
Jeanne Allen
President, The Center for Education Reform

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For more information, see CER Action Paper What the Research Says About Charter Schools 2000, November 2000.

The Center for Education Reform [CER] is a national, independent, non-profit advocacy organization providing support and guidance to individuals, community and civic groups, policymakers and others who are working to bring fundamental reforms to their schools. For additional information on education reform please call CER at (202) 822-9000.

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