Welcome back! Today we will start talking about why I think Question 2 isn't the solution to our public education issues. This is point one of four+ that cover my concerns. After covering question two, I'll talk more about alternatives I believe can work.
We've established that charter schools are public schools, with some public money and some private money. We also know that charter schools apply to the state, and then are reviewed on a five year cycle.
Screen grab from http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/guides/AcctGuide.pdf
Reviewing the DESE accountability documents we can find that a site visit will be completed
"Typically 2- 3 times during a charter term" aka two or three time per five years. That means for 94% of the charter term (47/50 months), charters are not expected to have state oversight, despite having state and city money.
Let me tell you about the oversight we in our traditional public school system have. Every month, the school committee meets and discusses what is working and what is not. At any time, they can call a department head to speak on progress or issues. A parent just needs to call, and off we go. Every 10 years, we are reviewed by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and every five years between we complete a self-study. The NEASC process is... in depth. I worked on a self-study year, and spent approximately 12 hours as one of over 100 staff members preparing information. State oversight is also more frequent. I can't remember the last year someone from the state didn't stop in our district; sometimes to see awesome work, sometimes to review progress. I can guarantee our oversight from the city and the state is far more than 3% of a five year period.
In my last post I alluded to outside money getting involved in public education. Having more money for computers, or to paint the classrooms, its great. When we have donors, without experience as educators, making recommendations or worse controlling the school, there can be a serious problem. I've heard it said that education is the hardest job that everyone thinks they can do. Being able to fund a charter school does not make you qualified to be an educator. With the introduction of charter schools, we have people like Elon Musk of SpaceX or Bill and Melinda Gates funding or creating their own schools.
You want to offer a Montessori program to a community? Great! You want a school to focus on project based learning? Wonderful! You are interested in creating a farm school that helps kids think about the wider applications of their learning? Super! Absolutely, start a charter, meet the needs of all learners.
I can't believe sending tax money, with minimal oversight, to be directed by non-educators will solve the problems we are facing.
Next time we will talk about discipline at charter schools vs. traditional public schools.
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