CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
February 19, 2013
Concerns over selective admissions criteria out of the scope of accepted methods for charter school enrollments and policies should be taken seriously, and authorizers are obligated to govern school policies according to very clear rules and oversight practices. But whether there are issues in how charter schools enroll students or not because of the actions of an authorizer or school, there is simply no room for conjecture or misappropriation of facts when analyzing how schools conduct themselves.
A series of articles by Reuters News journalist Stephanie Simon released on Feb 15, make erroneous conclusions, misappropriates fact, and makes far-reaching exaggerations of The Center for Education Reform’s (CER) data.
1) Data regarding the free and reduced lunch program provided by CER is completely mischaracterized. CER data shows that most charter schools do indeed feed all of their students, yet nearly 40% do not participate in the federal program because of the limitations that program imposes on their use of resources and the requirements for application and compliance that are not related to providing nutritious meals.
2) Application and enrollment criteria in many of the schools cited is misrepresented as selectivity. The reporting in these articles suggests anyone who does impose information requirements on parents are conducting nefarious or illegal behavior rather than attempting to ensure that the students are seeking the right fit for them. The article fails to recognize the distinction between selective admissions and informational guidance.
3) State policy is entirely misconstrued and the reporter cites several states that expressly permit selectivity. A closer look at the law reveals an incredible lack of understanding of state policy.
CER’s full response to Ms. Simon’s article can be found here. The Center will investigate additional points raised by the reporter and publish those findings subsequently.