The real truth about charter schools!

      I have to admit that I had not yet seen Waiting for 'Superman', even though it was so highly acclaimed, and yet promoted in our area. It along with The Cartel must be what our current governor and politicians have seen in their movement to push charter schools into Maine.  I am always appalled at the claim that schools [public schools] are to blame for all the troubles that face society! Isn't it that we are dealing daily with the results of those political ramifications and are trying in some small way to HEAL those wounds?! Isn't it schools that are offerring free breakfasts and lunches to families that qualify- even through the summer?!! I sometimes wonder how people can live in a bubble! Also, consider those statistics.. only 17% of the charter schools scored higher than the public schools! 46% were equivalent and 37% were WORSE!  Now I always wonder where statistics truly come from, and let's note, that is only in the area of math.. not other content areas, or demographics of the schools, or educational background of the teachers, all factors that I feel should come into play when you start comparing schools, along with many others.  These stats are just about as absurd and bias as the grade ranking system our state imposed this past spring, and that now Ohio is considering!
     There was one quote that truly stuck out for me on page 2, "...the idea that teachers are the most important factor determining student achievement."  While I do strongly feel that what we do individually and collectively deeply impacts the achievement and school attitudes in our students, we all know it is NOT the only thing. Many of our students come from families where the meals they receive at school are their major nourishment for the day; many of today's parents or guardians are working two  jobs just to keep a roof over their heads, let alone other necessities; many of our students have received interventions in their learning too late and so changing their paradigm to find success is difficult if not impossible; and as we all know, our schools nationwide are attempting every day to do more with less.  Interestingly enough, I wonder if the statement I just made is a timeless one. We created a system of education to reach the masses and try to equal out the possibilities for all citizens. In the end, we may have created a wider gap in the haves and have-nots. Yet we have seen here and hear about all the time, those teachers or schools that rise above all that and create incredible learning situations for their students.  The difficulty I see with charter schools is that many of them are funded by organizations with a motive to promote their way of thinking or learning and so you wonder how much those teachers have a say in developing their own curriculum to meet the needs of their students, whomever they are.   It brings up the age old debate of whether we should allow businesses to have an influence in our educational systems, or not. There are many pros and cons to consider. I myself have not decided if the influence or choice of a charter school is a good move. I do understand the desire, at times, to take a few strong, well educated, visionary teachers and go build a new way of learning. I think many times in  the course of my high school teaching experience I have said that we should scrap this HS model and try again.. but then, I'm not sure what it would or should look like in order to truly meet ALL needs.. so maybe that would mean 'charter' schools that have a specialty like in some of the European models. Maybe you go to this school is you want a vocational trade track; this school for a competitive college track; or this school for those yet undecided.  This article certainly makes one think and I applaud her for speaking against a very intense movement with such strength and evidence-based arguments.  Unfortunately, like most things in education... it just raises more questions for us to ponder!