by Jeanne Allen
Deseret News
May 16, 2016
An article about charter schools (“Do charter schools work?” May 9) misrepresented the success and outcomes of these innovative public schools on students, schools and communities. Research has consistently shown that charters lift all boats and grow student learning across all populations. And not only that, but by law, charter schools must accept all students. If there are more applications than seats available, charter schools must hold lotteries to determine enrollment.
The beauty of charter schools is that there is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to what a charter school looks like. Charter schools are public schools that are independently run and held accountable for results, yet their methods, structure, curriculum and more vary based on the unique void the school seeks to fill in a community. Not every school is a good fit for every student. Thankfully, charter schools are one solution to creating more excellent learning opportunities for children. But in order to truly meet the needs of every child, there must be a greater push to expand school choice programs and innovative learning opportunities that break the mold to get results for our nation’s children, giving every parent a plethora of options to choose from.