My problem with the charter school discussion is that it is frequently framed in the context of "this charter school is better than this public school." Frankly, these comparisons are bullshit. Public schools are given a task that charter schools would never have to even imagine. Public schools must educate ALL children in their districts. Charter schools have the luxury of choosing who attends their schools and who stays after they have been admitted. It is an apples to oranges comparison.
Take any single "successful" or "highly rated" charter school in the country and then tell them they must educate all of the kids in the public school district in which their school resides and I doubt we would see the same results. To get into charter schools parents must fill out applications. Right off the bat you have created a pool of potential students who at the very least have parents at home who are active in their children's education. Children like that typically perform better in school regardless of the type of school.
So yeah charters can work. But they work not because they schools are better. They work because the students going to them are better.
Take any single "successful" or "highly rated" charter school in the country and then tell them they must educate all of the kids in the public school district in which their school resides and I doubt we would see the same results. To get into charter schools parents must fill out applications. Right off the bat you have created a pool of potential students who at the very least have parents at home who are active in their children's education. Children like that typically perform better in school regardless of the type of school.
So yeah charters can work. But they work not because they schools are better. They work because the students going to them are better.