Charter Schools
E-Mail
CER
CER Analysis
NSBA CHARTER SCHOOL REPORT FULL OF HOLES
By Jeanne Allen
October 12, 2000
First, it's no secret that the National School Boards Association is among the staunchest opponents of charters, and the dozen law suits or more that have been filed against charter schools have been initiated by state school boards associations, taking a cue from the national folks.
Second, the report itself is written by people whose own views are suspect, and their allegations that there's little diversity, innovation, student achievement and more is backed up by no evidence!
In essence, the report is not a study but an analysis of existing anecdotal evidence.
The real studies are being done in concert with the federal review, and the 50 plus studies at the state, local and national level done to date more than contradict the opinions of these academics.
In fact, the charter movement is showing progress, and among the highest achieving public schools in recent state testing rounds were charters in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, North Carolina and California.
Essentially, charters are meeting the terms of their contracts, are being attended in droves by parents who want a choice, are better integrated than comparable schools in most jurisdictions where they reside and are in fact having an enormous impact on existing public schools.
###
See also: CHARTER SCHOOLS DO WORK, Letter to the Washington Post Editor, October 25, 2000.
And: What the Research Says About Charter Schools 2000, CER Action Paper, 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.