WMU study shows EMOs run 30 percent of charter schools

[Recursion]

(I'm pro-charter in theory, but these are the guys that screw it up: large corporations who try to basically franchise out charters everywhere. Think KIPP, et al.)

A new study by Western Michigan University researchers shows that privately operated education management organizations, or EMOs, now operate more than 30 percent of charter schools across the nation.

...

Altogether, nonprofit EMOs operate 813 schools, compared with 729 operated by for-profit EMOs. The share of schools managed by large, medium-sized and small nonprofits is more evenly distributed than in the for-profit sector, however. While large organizations manage 74 percent of all schools in the for-profit EMO sector, they manage only 45 percent in the nonprofit sector. More than 97 percent of schools managed by nonprofit EMOs are charter schools.

...

Overall, it concludes that 53 percent of schools run by for-profit EMOs met AYP requirements in the 2009-10 school year, while 47 percent did not. Among schools managed by the largest EMOs (those managing 10 or more schools), just 49.5 percent made AYP. Schools managed by medium-sized EMOs (those managing four to nine schools) fared slightly better, with 54.3 percent making AYP.

The best results were produced by the smallest EMOs, those managing three or fewer schools, with 70.8 percent making AYP. On-line, or virtual schools run by for-profit EMOs performed the worst, with only 30 percent making AYP.

...

More than 93 percent of EMO-managed schools are charter schools, while less than 7 percent are district schools.

http://www.wmich.edu/wmu/news/2010/12/043.shtml

It's especially irksome since a national EMO is missing the whole point of charters, which is local autonomy (and this seems to be backed up by the datum that the charters run by smaller EMOs are less bad).

[Edweird]

1. Well no wonder they are so screwed up.

Ok. Seriously, privatization is not the answer.

[demwing]

2. Totally beat me to the punch...

even down to the same graphic.

Damn!

[Edweird]

3. Ha. Great minds and all that....

:toast:

[Hannah Bell]

4. interesting that about half are for-profit. contrary to the walmart statistics constantly promoted

by some at DU.

[Recursion]

5. About half of the 30%, or 15% of all charters (nt)

[Hannah Bell]

6. as i said, different from the numbers cited by ed deformers.

who routinely say "most" emo's = non profit.

[Recursion]

8. Well, "more than 50%" is "most", yes?

Which is what the study found.

[mzteris]

7. some "how many " questions for you. . .

How many total charter schools?

How many total traditional schools?

How many of those EMO schools are VIRTUAL - not brick and mortar?

How many traditional public schools are managed by EMO's?



For the record - I oppose the for-profits, and quite suspicious of the non-profits.

I favor the original intent - and what the overwhelming majority of charter public schools are! - locally conceived, operated, and managed by parents, teachers, administrators and business people, non-profit organizations.

[Recursion]

9. How many's

How many total charter schools?

5000 and change

How many total traditional schools?

Something on the order of 130,000

How many of those EMO schools are VIRTUAL - not brick and mortar?

On the order of dozens (virtual schools are greeted with skepticism everywhere -- try getting hired with a U. of Phoenix degree)

How many traditional public schools are managed by EMO's?

About 100; in my anecdotal experience this indicates districts in receivership (there are EMOs that specialize in getting bankrupt districts back in the black; it might not be fair to compare them with other EMOs, for that matter).

The data, at any rate, seem clear: EMOs, while still more or less rare, are bad things in general, for-profit EMOs in particular.