Charter Schools Fall Short in Public Schools Matchup

A new study commissioned by the Department of Education, which compares the achievement of students in charter schools with those attending traditional public schools in five states, has concluded that the charter schools were less likely to meet state performance standards.

In Texas, for instance, the study found that 98 percent of public schools met state performance requirements two years ago, but that only 66 percent of the charter schools did. Even when adjusted for race and poverty, the study said, the charter schools fell short more frequently by a statistically significant amount.

The study added new data to a highly politicized debate between charter school supporters, including senior Bush administration officials, and skeptics who question the performance of the publicly financed but privately managed schools.

Deputy Education Secretary Eugene W. Hickok minimized the report's significance even as he released the results. But academics who have been critical of charter school performance called it an important contribution.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/23/education/23charter.html?oref=login

by this. But the repukes response will be that this proves they need vouchers to help pay tuition for their precious children to attend private schools.

oh, who to believe?!

Doesn't matter whether scores are higher or lower (all a cover). Making money in a market-based ed nation is all that matters. NCLB was created to destroy public ed....and get RICH!!!!!!

because not enough folks have the funds to pay these big prices that Repugs will want for the purpose of funneling to the owners and CEOs.

It's not about privatizing and it's not about profit...........it's about segregation. That's what it has always been about and that's what the religious right wing of the Republican Party stands for and has since it's inception.

It's not about Jesus and it's not about family values. It's all about forced segregation of the public school system. Governor Wallace and Governor Faubus will have their revenge yet, thanks to the good, white, Christian folks in the Party of Lincoln.

The charter school students would have probably aced that.

to Charter Schools. This election. Our third time to say no.

Enough.

The Dems who pushed Charter Schools in Washington (Dave Quall) and the Dems who have voted for vouchers (Reardon and Haugen come to mind here) can kiss my ass.

Washington State voters have said with their vote they want the Public Schools FULLY funded once and for all.

Jax

http://www.motherjones.com/news/special_reports/mojo_400/schools.html

What Bush neglected to mention is that many charter schools in Texas, while still a part of the public education system, are run by for-profit companies. And many of the biggest shareholders of those firms invested heavily in Bush, who pledged to provide $3 billion in federal loans for new charter schools and to offer subsidies for students to attend private schools. Just as brokers stand to benefit from privatizing Social Security, some of Bush's largest donors would profit from turning education over to the marketplace.