Must see video: US House of Representatives, June 1, hearing on charters.
Mona Davids (NYCPA)
videos. They don't even respond to FOIL requests and the authorizers do
nothing. How do we hold the authorizers accountable in NYS?
Rep. Miller discusses charter schools and accountability - 6.1.2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srGrAb-fR_0&NR=1
Rep. Miller discusses charter school segregation and privatization - 6.1.2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7bMQbTimsU&feature=relmfu
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Press Release from the House of Representatives regarding the lack of
accountability in charters.
http://democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/newsroom/2011/06/democrats-remain-concerned-abo.shtml
Democrats Remain Concerned About Accountability in Charter Schools
Witnesses Urge Need for Better Oversight of Private Operators of Public
Schools
June 2, 2011 10:51 AM
WASHINGTON, D.C. – While some charter schools have seen dramatic gains in
student achievement, overall, the need for systemic school reform is a far
greater concern to schools, teachers and students, witnesses told the
Subcommittee On Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education. The
much-needed reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
could help address the real education inequities that still exist today.
“Charter schools were originally intended to be a new form of public
school that would develop and share innovative practices, and promote
competition, leading to improvements among traditional public schools, as
well,” said U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI), the ranking member of the
subcommittee. “While the original goals of charter schools hold promise,
they must be held accountable for their performance and work
collaboratively with other public schools to improve the high-quality
educational options available to all students.”
Despite substantial growth, charter schools are not a realistic or
high-quality option for most American families. Almost 90 percent of
school districts do not have charter schools. Some populations, like
students with disabilities and English Language Learners, may not be
enrolled at proportional rates or may be stratified. Witnesses and
lawmakers agreed that charter schools are not “a silver bullet” and raised
concerns about accountability among charter school authorizers.
“High performing charter schools are a great option for some students;
they are closing achievement gaps and shattering the low expectations that
have stood in the way of student success,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller
(D-CA), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee.
“Unfortunately, serving a small population of students won’t help bring
this country and our students to the future. Charter schools are an
important piece of the school reform puzzle though only if the schools are
transparent and accountable to all students, including English Language
Learners and students with disabilities. The privatization of public
schools under the guise of charter operators is very troubling to me and I
intend to keep a close eye on this issue.”
“A growing body of research as well as state and federal evaluations
conducted by independent researchers continue to find that charter schools
are not achieving the goals that were once envisioned for them,” said Dr.
Gary Miron, Professor of Evaluation, Measurement, and Research at Western
Michigan University. “Involvement of local persons or groups in starting
charter schools is shrinking, replaced instead by outsiders, particularly
private education management organizations (EMOs), which steer these
schools from distant corporate headquarters. Claims that EMOs can make
charter schools more effective have not been substantiated by research.”
EMOs are private entities that manage public schools under contract.
The charter school movement began in the early 1990s and, as of the
2009-2010 school year, more than 1.6 million students – approximately four
percent of all public school students –attend nearly 5,000 charter schools
in 40 states and the District of Columbia. In the past 10 years, the share
of charter schools operated by nonprofit or for-profit management
organizations (CMOs and EMOs) has grown dramatically. Today, nearly
one-third of charter schools are operated by private management
organizations.
To view videos from the hearing, click here.
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