Another Study Shows Charters Do No Better Than Public Schools

[xchrom]

https://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/09-12


Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel waves during the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Chicago on March 15, 2014. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

***SNIP

The results are especially interesting in light of the big push Emanuel has made to increase the number of charter schools in the city even after he closed nearly 50 traditional schools last year in the largest mass school closing in U.S. history. Today there are more than 130 charters in Chicago and more are scheduled to open this year, and nearly one of every seven Chicago public school students attends charters or other schools run by private entities, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Here are some of the findings from the analysis, from this story in the Sun-Times:

* On the math portion of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test, 7.3 percent of CPS neighborhood school students exceeded standards, while 5.3 percent of kids at the privately run schools did so.

* Among charter or contract elementary students, 7.9 percent exceeded standards on the ISAT [Illinois Standard Achievement Test] for reading, compared with 9.8 percent of students at neighborhood schools. The ISAT in math and reading is given to third- through eighth-graders.

* Charters and contract schools edged out neighborhood high schools — 1.3 percent to 0.7 percent — when it came to exceeding standards on the math portion of the PSAE [Prairie State Achievement Exam] last year.

* Students at CPS’ selective-enrollment, classical, magnet and other schools with admissions tests or specialized offerings posted far better results than those at both charter and neighborhood schools.

[badtoworse]

1. That is important information for parents deciding whether to a public or charter school...

but it doesn't change the principle that the choice should be available to all parents whether or not they can afford to pay both the charter school tuition AND the local school tax.

[jmowreader]

4. Charters don't charge tuition

[madfloridian]

6. Taxpayer money is taken from public schools and given to charter schools...per student money.

As resources and money are taken from public schools, more is being demanded of them.

No, parents don't have to pay for charters. Parents with children in public schools are doing that for them.

[Bigmack]

2. Perfect for creating a two-tier society...

"Students at CPS’ selective-enrollment, classical, magnet and other schools with admissions tests or specialized offerings posted far better results than those at both charter and neighborhood schools."

I have a revolutionary idea... Let's fund education like it was the Pentagon!

Conservatives.. or whatever they call themselves nowadays.. always say you can't solve problems by throwing money at them. Pentagon spending has proven that false, so let's give it a shot for 30 years or so.

In our state... average day care for a school-age kid is about $200 a year less than per-pupil costs. And adult-child ratio requirements are 1-15 for day care, while classrooms routinely have 1-25. For about the cost of day care, public schools are supposed to do it ALL.

Like so many things in this country... our priorities are bass-ackwards.

[MO_Moderate]

3. Any idea

how they compare when it comes to drugs, violence and student safety?

[malaise]

5. Duh!

Charter schools are a racket to loot state property and resources.