A reader in Mississippi writes:
| Why build separate schools for a select few? Why create separate laws and separate governing bodies for these schools? Why not change existing laws for ALL schools?? What the hell kind of country are we living in where our tax dollars can be used to operate a school that is not open to all children??? I have always considered myself lucky to have been educated in a post-segregation American school system. Unfortunately, it is starting to look as if my children won’t be so lucky. I won’t allow this to happen in my community. |
Diane Ravitch's blog 
What we need are more educated, interested citizens like your reader. I believe most Americans don’t really understand the ideals in charter schools. I know that we are living in a more and more divided society; public schools are one way to connect that divide.
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They are if they are effectively performing an education function. The true question is “are they?” And if not, why not.
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Mississippi seems to have bucked the trend, at least for the time being. Good for Mississippi. Washington state’s experience, however, seems to be that efforts to establish charter schools through legislation or initiative continue, despite repeated defeats. We are now looking at a charter schools initiative for the fourth time, having just turned down charter school requests in our legislature.
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You note that it is billionaires who demand charter legislation in Washington state, not parents. The billionaires won’t take three referenda saying “no” for an answer. The people have spoken, but they don’t listen.
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Mississippi already operates schools that are “not open to all children.” If you want to enroll your child in a better public school district, you need to get permission from your current district and the district you’re transferring into. If either district declines, you’re stuck in a school that’s determined by your ZIP code. Our state’s most successful public schools aren’t open to all children — only the ones wealthy enough to move there. We already have de facto income-based segregation in Mississippi, does the reader prefer that to school choice?
It’s disappointing that anyone would liken charter schools to segregation, especially when charter schools in neighboring Memphis, New Orleans, and Arkansas are doing so much to help low-income minority children succeed.
We’ve heard this same stale argument time and again in Mississippi: why not give public schools the same freedom as charter schools? And that’s exactly what we did in our charter school bill — if you’re a public school and you want more freedom, you can convert to a charter school! But the catch is that you’re on the hook for better results, and few districts are happy about more freedom when you start requiring more responsibility, too.
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“It’s disappointing that anyone would liken charter schools to segregation, especially when charter schools in neighboring Memphis, New Orleans, and Arkansas are doing so much to help low-income minority children succeed.”
No, they are not doing so much to help low income minority children succeed. Since you made the statement please back it with legitimate studies/references. All the legitimate studies I’ve read state quite the opposite. Like the old Wendy’s commercials “show us the beef!”
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You are joking about New Orleans, right? RSD schools are at the bottom of the accountability list in all of Louisiana, 69th out of 70. Just ask the parents of those low income minority students. It’s a failure.
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http://parentsacrossamerica.org/2011/02/paul-vallas-gets-an-earful-from-karran-royal-harper-in-n-orleans/.
, Video of NewOrleans parent.
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I am allways surprised that no one takes up the addmisions requirements for zoned public schools. The first step in a good discussion of how to set admission requirements would be to acknowledge that all schools have admission requirements.
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It’s disappointing that anyone would liken charter schools to segregation, especially when charter schools in neighboring Memphis, New Orleans, and Arkansas are doing so much to help low-income minority children succeed.
They may be in Memphis and Arkansas but not so much in New Orleans.
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Are there some people in the house from Memphis or Arkansas who can speak to the quality of their charter schools?
“If… you want more freedom, you can convert to a charter school!” Wait a minute. The freedom seems to be freedom from oversight for management. I don’t hear a lot about parent or public oversight. Aren’t charter schools suppose to be public schools? What part of them is public?
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I have received an email that points out the State of Kentucky has no charter schools. Instead they have passed a law allowing the public schools to do the same thing that charters claim they would do. This is called Districts of Innovation that serves the same purpose as charter schools. This model fits Mississippi public schools.
This allows each school district to gain flexibility from certain laws and regulations regarding curriculum, instruction, structure, scheduling, and funding.
Also they have set up a non profit corporation to receive funds from private sources for the sole benefit of public schools.
The State of Mississippi cannot afford two systems for education with this budget. The public schools, if given the opportunity, can produce better outcome for our students than charters.
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