On Jun 22, 2012, at 1:02 PM, ken hanly wrote:
> I think Max's point is that charter schools can be non-profit. In fact I gather that some of them are quite progressive co-op type operations where parents would have a considerable amount of input and control.
Could be, yes. But proponents of charters are mainly interested in busting teachers unions and staffing them with poorly paid new graduates who will burn out in a few years, to be replaced by a younger crop. The evidence is that, on balance, charters are not significantly better or worse (measured by test scores) than traditional public schools. But the key is fiscal. Also, those serving poor kids are often quasi-militaristic in their discipline policies - they're instruments of tighter social control.
More by me: http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Charters.html.
Doug