Reply #62: I think I am very fair. I think there needs to be openness and honesty.

[madfloridian]

I criticize charter schools because they take public money and won't be held accountable. I have written about many cases like that.

I criticize them in the context that they are taking away resources that public schools desperately need.

There is nothing wrong with a group of people getting together to form their own school. In fact that can work quite well. That is their right. But I don't want my taxes going to them unless they are regulated and have oversight. I don't have percentages of those who say they are public, but really are not quite. Imagine schools have claimed to be public, but they really are run like a tight ship by their corporation founded by Dennis and Eileen Bakke. In fact they fire principals who inquire too closely about the real estate arm of their company which gets public money.

I believe our party should be upfront and honest. If you keep forming more charter schools which is the goal of this administration....if you keep giving them more public money...then you will most definitely have a network of unregulated charter schools. AND we will have more failing public schools who are having their resources stripped.