ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS A GOOD WAY TO IMPROVE EDUCATION IN OUR COMMUNITY? A CHOICEWORK DISCUSSION STARTER

This Choicework Discussion Starter is part of Charter Schools In Perspective, an effort to enlighten and improve the conversation about charter schools in the United States. In Perspective is a joint project of the Spencer Foundation and Public Agenda, both nonpartisan organizations. For more information, visit in- perspective.org

ABOUT CHOICEWORK DISCUSSION STARTERS Choicework Discussion Starters: Support dialogue. They are designed as a starting point for constructive deliberation and problem solving. Present several alternative ways of thinking about an issue, each with its own values, priorities, advantages and trade-offs. Combine questions and insights drawn from both public and leadership/expert thinking. Encourage users to offer additional ideas and/or combine or adapt elements from the material presented here.

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT These slides are designed to be used by a moderator, facilitator or teacher to supplement dialogue on charter schools using the Choicework Discussion Starter “Are Charter Schools a Good Way to Improve Education in Our Community.” We encourage you to download the full Choicework Discussion Starter at and provide it to dialogue participants. For guidance on facilitating a Choicework Dialogue, please contact Public Agenda at

KEY FACTS ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS

WHAT ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS? Funded by taxpayers Operated by groups outside the traditional school system Receive a “charter” from state or local government to open a school Can be closed if they do not perform adequately Are very diverse—there are many types of charter schools KEY FACTS ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS

6% of U.S. public schools are charters The number of charter schools increased by nearly 40% between and KEY FACTS ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS

5% of public school students attend a charter schools Enrollment at charter schools increased by over 78% between and KEY FACTS ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS

Most charter schools are in cities – nearly 3,000 in KEY FACTS ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS

CHARTER SCHOOLS VARY WIDELY Some are part of large national charter systems; others are locally-designed and operated Some are non-profit; others for-profit Teaching methods, curricula, philosophy vary Some are popular and have waiting lists; others have been closed KEY FACTS ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS

PERSPECTIVES TO THINK OVER AND DISCUSS

SOME GENERAL QUESTIONS TO KEEP IN MIND Is opening charter schools one of the best ideas for improving education in our community, or are there other approaches more deserving of our time, energy and resources? Charters vary widely. If we do decide they are a good option, what kind of charters do we want? What will be the advantages and disadvantages of charter schools for the students who attend them? What about for students who attend other schools in the district?

THREE BROAD PERSPECTIVES Give Parents Choice.Preserve and Improve Neighborhood Schools. Use Charters in a Limited Way to Test New Ideas. Charters offer parents more and better choices, and that should be our goal. This is especially urgent in communities where public schools have been failing for years. Charters will undermine existing neighborhood schools by taking tax dollars and some highly- involved, knowledgeable parents from our regular schools. We should focus on improving our existing schools so all the children will benefit. With charters, we can try out new ideas and approaches—something that’s sorely needed and rarely happens in the existing system. If something works in charters, we could adopt the idea in our neighborhood schools.

GIVE PARENTS CHOICE PERSPECTIVE 1

The vision: Our district will promote charter schools, moving quickly to a system where every parent can choose the best school for his or her child. Tax money “follows the student”—when a student attends a charter, the “per student” tax dollars go the charter school All schools provide detailed statistics so parents can compare them. Better information will spur competition and overall improvement. #1: GIVE PARENTS CHOICE

Arguments for: Families in districts with low-performing schools need alternatives. In some cases, low- income charter students score higher on reading/math tests. Affluent families already have choices. Arguments against: Most students attend traditional public schools. Traditional public schools will have less money. Neighborhood schools are crucial institutions. #1: GIVE PARENTS CHOICE

PRESERVE & IMPROVE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS PERSPECTIVE 2

The vision: Almost all students attend traditional neighborhood schools. We should stop looking to charter schools for school improvement and instead take bold steps to improve the neighborhood schools we have. Districts stop authorizing new charters and carefully scrutinize existing ones, closing those that don’t deliver. #2: PRESERVE AND IMPROVE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS

Arguments for: Strong neighborhood schools help all children in the area. It’s what teachers, students and parents do that makes the difference--not the organizational structure. Lack of funding, overcrowding and lack of parental and community support are the real problems facing local schools. Arguments against: If a charter can do better, parents deserve that option. Traditional public schools are burdened by red tape and entrenched special interests. There is a process for closing charter schools if they fail, making them more accountable. #2: PRESERVE AND IMPROVE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS

USE CHARTERS IN A LIMITED WAY TO TEST NEW IDEAS PERSPECTIVE 3

The vision: Most children continue to attend traditional neighborhood schools. A few Charters are authorized to experiment with new ideas. Charter schools are closely monitored. Their goal is to test out new approaches that can be adopted by traditional public schools. Charters are not used to spur competition among schools or provide parent choice for its own sake. #3: USE CHARTERS IN A LIMITED WAY TO TEST NEW IDEAS

Arguments for: Charters were intended to be incubators, not to replace traditional public schools. Education needs new thinking. Many education reform ideas need a lot more field testing. Arguments against: Setting up a few experiments doesn’t give parents the kinds of choices they deserve. Unless people outside the existing system have a change to create and manage new school, very little is going to change. The problem facing schools isn’t a lack of new ideas. It’s bureaucracy and unwillingness to change #3: USE CHARTERS IN A LIMITED WAY TO TEST NEW IDEAS

THREE BROAD PERSPECTIVES Give Parents Choice.Preserve and Improve Neighborhood Schools. Use Charters in a Limited Way to Test New Ideas. Charters offer parents more and better choices, and that should be our goal. This is especially urgent in communities where public schools have been failing for years. Charters will undermine existing neighborhood schools by taking tax dollars and some highly- involved, knowledgeable parents from our regular schools. We should focus on improving our existing schools so all the children will benefit. With charters, we can try out new ideas and approaches—something that’s sorely needed and rarely happens in the existing system. If something works in charters, we could adopt the idea in our neighborhood schools.

# 1: GIVE PARENTS CHOICE What is the long-term vision —to have a small number of charters or to move to a point where charters predominate? What are the plans to improve other schools in the district? How will the charters be funded, and what impact will that have on other schools and students? Can we mitigate any negative financial consequences? How will the district respond if there is more demand for charter schools than space available or if the charter does not meet expectations ? ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

# 2: PRESERVE AND IMPROVE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS What are the plans to improve student learning if the district decides not to allow charters? What are the plans to attract, evaluate and retain good teachers and principals ? Is it reasonable to expect troubled schools to improve without a major shake-up? Are there ideas from the charter movement that should still be considered? ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

# 3: USE CHARTERS IN A LIMITED WAY TO TEST NEW IDEAS: How will the district ensure that successful innovations from charter schools will be adopted more broadly ? What are the plans to improve the neighborhood schools most children attend now? Will there be a financial loss to existing public schools? Is the problem in our district really a lack of innovation and new ideas, or are there other, more pressing issues? ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

Be sure to check out all of the Charter Schools In Perspective resources, including: The full PDF version of this Choicework Discussion Starter Charter Schools In Perspective: A Guide to Research 10 Questions for Policymakers 10 Questions for Journalists All materials are available to download and print at perspective.org. perspective.org