WSJ: New Front in Charter Schools

[antigop]

In Massachusetts, a Pair of Democrats Push to Lift Restrictions in Some Districts
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323293704578334142723722634.html

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering eliminating a cap on the number of charter schools that can operate in the lowest-performing school districts, including here in the capital city.

While other states also have weighed lifting caps, charter advocates point to left-leaning Massachusetts as a somewhat unlikely model for the movement. "This demonstrates that charter schools are a viable reform," said Nina Rees, president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a nonprofit aimed at advancing the movement. "If it can happen in Massachusetts, it can happen anywhere."

Charter schools receive public funding but, unlike public schools, employ mostly nonunion teachers and have autonomy in school districts, which allows them to set their own conditions, such as longer school days. They have long been embraced by Republicans for introducing choice in education, but have been assailed by some teacher unions and others as hurting traditional public schools.

The Massachusetts legislation to end the cap was proposed by Democrats, state Sen. Barry Finegold and Rep. Russell Holmes. It would abolish all caps on charter schools and charter-school spending in 29 low-performing school districts, including Boston.

[mbperrin]

1. Just keep gutting the public schools.

What harm could there possibly be?

Unless you consider an uneducated populace a problem...

[theaocp]

2. I'm sure these lawmakers

can tell us why more charters is a good idea, beyond the fact that the public schools aren't performing well on standardized tests. What are they going to DO with a longer day and teachers with NO job security?

[MrMickeysMom]

5. Standardized tests are useless...

All they do is a measure of student success. All they do is make publishers like Pearson and guys like Jeb Bush rich at our expense.

True student achievement is measured through outcome assessment such as, "Do graduates get jobs?" and go on to post secondary education or are successful in the military, for example.

Feed back on these graduates and from their employers can be quantified and the results can be rolled back into the schools to improve there methodologies. At the bedside in an ICU I never had to take a standardized to see whether the patient lived or died.

[duffyduff]

3. The Democratic Party is full of these fakes

who would destroy institutions necessary for democracy because they are on the take.

I'll bet there is Gates and Broad money behind this.

[LWolf]

4. I won't take that bet. nt

[HiPointDem]

6. +1