Bruce Baker at Rutgers University created a valuable graph that shows the relationship between every states’ number of charter schools and its fiscal effort.
Some states appear to think that opening charters relieves them of their responsibility to fund public schools. They choose to “reform” by handing schools off to private entrepreneurs, thus relieving the state of the duty to provide adequate and equitable funding.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education and commented:
Interesting
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The states, which do this have committed a CRIME.
All this fuss about test scroes and standards are just another WHITEWASH of what is really happening.
These people who divert monies from public schools to charters and vouchers should be jailed.
Has this country gone STUPID?
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This country has been hit with the “free market” stupid stick! Trump and DeVos want to federalize stupid with vouchers for all.
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Some states like Utah and Arizona have never had a commitment to properly funding schools.
I suspect charters were just an afterthought that happened to fit into their “mindset” (if you can call it that)
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Some states allow massive financial inequities, it’s true
It’s plain wrong, something they shouldn’t be allowed to do
Chartering was designed to empower families & educators alike
In some places it’s taken off like a wonderful bike
I wonder why there’s little energy here
For challenging mostly white suburbs with families that leer
At inner city schools serving low income kids
And families living on the skids.
But some of us are finding ways to work for justice now
District & charter together can make a difference – and how!
(With thanks for your poems which bring a smile
And respect, even when I disagree, with what you compile)
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Utah doesn’t have funding inequities. In fact, it’s considered one of the most equitably-funded states in the nation.
What Utah DOES have is no will to SPEND MONEY ON SCHOOLS. And the legislature, many of whom are invested one way or another in charter schools, have really opened the money floodgates for charters in the last couple of years. For example, districts now have to share property tax money with charters.
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Don’t understand the graph. Any help will be appreciated.
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I’ll give it a shot:
As you go to the right, the percentage of charters increase
As you go up, the percentage of the state’s GDP spent on K-12 education increases
The fact that the “best fit” line slopes downward indicates that as the percentage of charters increase the state’s overall effort to fund public education decreases.
This is not a bug… it’s a feature….
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Thanks Wayne! Appreciate the explanation. It now makes sense.
And your last statement is sadly true!
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What happens when taxpayers begin to think like state and vote to defund charters and vouchers as well as unlicensed schools?
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