Let me preface this by saying that not all charter schools are bad. There are some charter schools that are run very well by wonderful administrators and educators. There are other charter schools, however, that in an effort to acquire funding and preserve their profit margin will cut corners and compromise their educational instruction - all these things are systematic of current educational policy and our economic system as a whole.
Here’s the story I am talking about. To summarize, this school had already had some questionable funding from several Turkish interest groups. Apparently, there was widespread cheating on both standardized tests and science projects. Teachers were leave classrooms vacant for days on end. There was only one special education teacher (for 600 students. And all of these students were given the same IEP). As the state become more aware of this situation, one of the administrators attempted to bribe a Department of Education official with 20,000 dollars. And here comes the cherry on the cake: when two five year olds were found to be engaging in an unspecified sexual act with one another, the administration took no action whatsoever.
As a consequence of all these scandals, many students are displaced and many very good and dedicated teachers are without jobs. While horrible, this is not simply a lone example of some poor administrators. There motives were simply this: money. As a charter they get money for each student in their school from the state. And if they invest less than that sum in each student, then they are left over with a considerable profit. Thus, a motive to cut corners and increase one’s profit margin is created.
Here in lies the problem with programs like Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind - education is inherently opposed to competition. Education is the birthright of every child. It is the foundation of our democracy, an institution that is open to all regardless of circumstances. So if we make schools compete for money, what are we really saying about the nature of our democracy? Are we saying that the free market will solve all of our problems? If we are, look back at the Gilded Age. And for its impact on education, look back on Abramson.
