People often ask me, “Why don’t the public schools learn from the charter schools?”
Good question.
The top-rated charter school in Minneapolis has lessons to teach the public schools. But I doubt that the public schools should copy those lessons or even if the lessons are legal.
First, the charter school takes half as many students with disabilities. Then, it has double the suspension rate of the public schools. That raises the charter’s test scores. Then the media and legislators say we need more schools like that.
That is the lesson.
Very clever but not very original.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Diane,
Sorry to hijack this post, but you MUST read this…..Michelle Rhee, the Ann
Coulter of Education. Here is the closing…a great article:
Education Ann Coulter
No doubt, Rhee will continue to be a force in the debate about how to preserve and improve America’s great system of public education. With the significant backing from Rupert Murdoch, the Walton Family of Walmart fame, and deep-pocketed hedge-fund investors (are these typical allies of Democrats?), Rhee will be able to sustain the income stream that propels her lobbying and campaign donor activities.
The media will quite likely keep her in the limelight as well, as she has become a lightning rod for attention—a sort of “education Ann Coulter” who delights in outrageousness: modeling to little school kids how an adult can eat a bee, taping her students’ mouths shut, firing school personnel live on camera for a national broadcast, and posing on the cover of a major news magazine, broom in hand, to convey her intention to “sweep out” experienced school teachers as if they are so much trash.
But without her fortune and fame, it’s not hard to imagine that it would be Michelle Rhee, and not school teachers, who would be isolated from the Democratic party.
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2012104111/michelle-rhee-misreads-shift-among-democrats-education
Thanks, I wrote a post about this, taken from you!
Diane
Principals often receive orders from their districts to reduce the amount of referrals. So, public schools will definitely not be suspending students like charters do.
In our Chicago neighborhood, we have seen an excellent public elementary school influence a very good Catholic school. The CPS school offers an advanced math program to middle schoolers, and now the Catholic school does, too. And that was to keep from losing students.
We should begin a post…what charters can learn from public schools.
It sounds like those two schools are competing for students.
Do you encourage your children to compete for your affection?
The comment said
“The CPS school offers an advanced math program to middle schoolers, and now the Catholic school does, too. And that was TO KEEP FROM LOSING STUDENTS”
I do not understand what the parent child relationship has to do with the attractiveness of advanced math programs. Perhaps you could clarify?
Perfect timing….just received from Schools Matter:
Save Unsuccessful Charter Schools (SUCS), Now!
Increasingly over the past decade, children and their parents all across the U.S. are choosing to enroll in or are being chosen to attend charter schools that are average or failing. Since these children are our future, we must organize now and help reform the struggling charter school movement; thus, I am forming Save Unsuccessful Charter Schools (SUCS).
http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2012/10/save-unsuccessful-charter-schools-sucs.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+schoolsmatter%2FSISc+%28Schools+Matter%29
Also, listen to Teachbad sing: “Rhee Came Down From The Mountain” Song
http://teachbad.com/2012/10/13/rhee-came-down-from-the-mountain-song/
The sound of the balloons popping from all the reformers will be a glorious sound.