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Charter
schools need program flexibility
Proposals
should be evaluated, but not necessarily delayed. Editorial Oregon’s
new charter school law is getting off to an uneven start. Some
outstanding proposals are taking shape, such as 21st Century
Schoolhouse in Salem. Organizers
have received a $10,000 state grant to develop the proposal. They hope to
establish a school using global studies and community service to teach at-risk
students. Starting
a charter school is difficult. Organizers must demonstrate that they are
prepared to deal with everything from curriculum to administration. And they
must comply with the complex charter-school law approved by the 1999
Legislature. Local
school boards have been the first say in weather to authorize a charter school,
although the organizers can appeal to the state Department of Education. Rigorous
requirements are important to ensure that charter school agreements are
educationally, financially, and administratively sound. But some charter school
advocates contend that Oregon school districts are putting up unreasonable
barriers, trying to stall action on proposals or adding extra requirements. The
Portland Association of Teachers, for example, is urging the Portland school
board to require that all teachers be licensed – even though the new charter
school law requires only half of teaching staff have teaching certificates. That’s
unreasonable and counterproductive. The value of charter schools their freedom
to be more innovative and less bureaucratic, operating independently form some
school district regulations. In
turn, charter schools can ease some of the enrollment pressure on traditional
schools while developing educational approaches that can work these schools. School
boards must show the courage to carefully evaluate charter school proposals,
approve those that are solid, and reject those that aren’t. But
that review should not turn into an excuse for delaying action. |
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contact: school@communityschoolhouse.org |
The
21st Century