Blogger Jersey Jazzman is an experienced teacher and graduate student at Rutgers, where he has learned how reformers play games with data. He is better than they are and can be counted on to expose their tricks.
In this post, he blows away the myth of the “success” of Boston charter schools.
The public schools and the charter schools in Boston do not enroll the same kinds of students, due to high attrition rates in the charters (called Commonwealth charter schools).
He writes:
“As I pointed out before, the Commonwealth charter schools are a tiny fraction of the total Boston high school population. What happens if the cap is lifted and they instead enroll 25 percent of Boston’s students? What about 50 percent?
“Let’s suppose we ignore the evidence above and concede a large part of the cohort shrinkage in charters is due to retention. Will the city be able to afford to have retention rates that high for so many students? In other words: what happens to the schools budget if even more students take five or six or more years to get through high school?
“In a way, it doesn’t really matter if the high schools get their modest performance increases through attrition or retention: neither is an especially innovative way to boost student achievement, and neither requires charter school expansion. If Boston wants to invest in drawing out the high school careers of its students, why not do that within the framework of the existing schools? Especially since we know redundant school systems can have adverse effects on public school finances?”
Conclusion: Jersey Jazzman opposes Amendment 2, which would lead to an unsustainable growth in charter schools, free to push out the students they don’t want.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
My favorite “NO on Question 2” video — a grand slam homerun, imo:
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And THIS video covers most of what the above video does not:
i.e. $20+ million of out of state billionaires and Wall Street backers are pouring into Massachusetts, and the “myths” which their hired political consultants are paid that money to promulgate to Massachusetts voters:
Powtoons rocks!
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And now watch THIS video …
that covers what the earlier video left out:
— the tens of millions of out-of-state money from out-of-state billionaires and Wall Street investors is pouring in to pass Question 2,
— their actual goals and motives are,
— the huge waiting list myth,
etc.
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another great NO on 2 video…
The Tale of Two Dollars:
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BELOW is another good video promoting the “NO on Question 2” position.
A group comprised of folks who are both parents and education officials watch / show the viewers one of the “Yes on Question 2” commercials — one that’s particularly ubiquitous on TV lately. They then spend the next 20 minutes debunking and unpacking it.
(NOTE: these folks are not the most exciting and charismatic on-camera people you’ll ever see, but I think the fact that they are NOT slick, seasoned TV spokes-holes like Marc Kenen and Marty Walz makes their message come across with even more authenticity… in my opinion 😉 )
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Attrition is the secret of “success” of most, if not all, charters. It’s the only advantage they have over the real public schools
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YES. That and the fact that too many are excused from testing penalties in the name of “innovation.”
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I agree. And the reason I agree is because the charter industry is desperate to keep true attrition rates hidden at all costs.
But, it’s clear from even the most pro-charter reporters that the highest performing charters have among the highest attrition rates and the mediocre charters have among the lowest. Which is exactly the opposite of public schools, where the highest performing schools also have low attrition rates as compared to mediocre publics. Parents don’t frequently pull their children from top performing public schools. But they very frequently pull their children from top performing charter schools.
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This week, in Ohio newspapers, “Educator pleads guilty to felonies.” Funny thing, she wasn’t an educator. She “transferred $88,750 to her personal accounts”, from the money she received to open a charter school that was never opened. Quoting the State Auditor’s Office, “It’s very dubious whether she ever had good intentions.” “The Ed. Dept. requires background checks (for personnel) but, not for those who create (charter schools).” The woman was convicted 12 years ago for identity theft. The State Auditor described the funding for charter schools as a “system that is busted, broken and doesn’t work.”
We can thank Ohio Senators, Sherrod Brown and Portman, for their endorsement of a privatizing U.S. Secretary of Education, Gov. Kasich and, the Republican state legislators, for encouraging a corrupt parallel system to public schools, that siphons off and misuses funds and, we can thank organizations like Fordham for being the P.R. arm for charter schools.
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Does anyone know how Question 2 is polling?
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Joey,
I recently saw a poll showing the vote is close but the NO is a few points ahead of YES. Something like 48-42
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Diane: “due to high attrition rates in the charters”
Quick question, Diane. What is your definition of “attrition,” one that shows Boston Commonwealth Charter attrition to be “high”?
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Stephen,
Please refer to Jersey Jazzman’s post on attrition in Boston charters.
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Diane: “Please refer to Jersey Jazzman’s post on attrition in Boston charters.”:
I had referred to it, but I wouldn’t expect, Dr. Ravitch, a scholar like yourself to employ a definition of attition similarly far at odds with standard usage in academics or public education bureaucracies, to accept one that would, in theory, allow two schools like these to be compared, with School 1 considered to have 0% attrition, far less than school two.
School 1: 100 entering 9th graders
1/3rd drop out, 1/3 transfer out during school year, 1/3 transfer out over summer
Replaced by 100 new 10th graders
1/3rd drop out, 1/3 transfer out during school year, 1/3 transfer out over summer
Replaced by 100 new 11th graders
1/3rd drop out, 1/3 transfer out during school year, 1/3 transfer out over summer
Replaced by 100 new 12th graders
School 2: 100 entering 9th graders
10% leave for all reasons in 12 months
90 tenth graders
10% leave for all reasons in 12 months
81 eleventh graders
9.9% leave for all reasons in 12 months
73 12th graders
As you may have inferred from the comments to his recent posting, while JJ has now recognized that front-loaded retention alters the ratio of 9th and 12th graders, there are other aspects of his analysis that do not seem as well polished as they might be with your assistance.
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Stephen,
Jersey Jazzman is earning his doctorate in statistics under the great scholar Bruce Baker of Rutgers. Attrition is so common among charter schools that get high scores (by dropping the kids with low scores) that it is well understood.
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I had noted the similarity in methodology between Baker and Weber in respect to “attrition” analysis, and the separation between their methods and those that are more standard in the field. Perhaps you have also. In any event, I can understand your desire to give them free rein.
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Stephen,
Are you a statistician? Do you have a doctorate in research methodology? I asked you for your credentials to challenge not only a distinguished scholar like Bruce Baker but also reports from the federal government. I haven’t heard yet.
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Gosh, Diane, you really don’t think that adding together those who leave a school during the school year and those who leave during the summer to determine full-year attrition requires an advanced degree in statistics, do you?
p.s. I enjoyed Pasi Sahlberg. Thanks for that.
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