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Education Reform In The News
CHARTER SCHOOLS' SUCCESS
By Jeanne Allen, March 6 2003
Letter to the Editor of the New York Times
On the basis of one Arizona family’s negative experience, education columnist Mike Winerip condemns the entire charter movement [“When It Goes Wrong At A Charter School,” On Education Column, New York Times 3/5/03]. That’s quite a leap.
The family mentioned in the article had unsatisfactory experiences at two charter schools prior to their final choice, which shut down unexpectedly although it reopened soon after. This anecdote, and one statistic about the performance of Arizona’s charters, was all Winerip needed to boldly report, “like a lot of 1990’s market miracles, the charter bubble has burst.”
The bubble has burst? Hardly. The number of charter schools in the nation has increased every year since the first one opened in 1992, to nearly 2,700 today. The vast majority of studies show that charters are taking the hardest to teach kids - those being failed by traditional public schools - and are helping them to surpass their peers.
Actually, Winerip’s article proves the great need for charter schools.. After two disheartening experiences with charters the family again chose another charter school, where her children are still enrolled.
What does that say about the alternatives?
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An edited version of this letter appeared in the New York Times, March 12, 2003.
Jeanne Allen is president of the Center for Education Reform in Washington, D.C. The Center for Education Reform 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 further information, please call (202) 822-9000.