Charter schools joining mainstream

I wasn't aware of this development, as every charter school I've ever seen serves a low-income minority student body:

While charters are still most popular in big cities and among low-achieving students, they're starting to take root in bedroom communities and affluent suburbs, creating stiff competition for regular public schools and drawing students from highly regarded private schools as well.

I have mixed, though overall positive feelings about this development. The mixed part has to do with the question, "Why does a well-off community need a charter school? Let's focus our efforts on more schools for the neediest students." Also, to the extent that there's a cap on the number of schools, it can be a zero-sum game (e.g., a school in an affluent community denies a poor community a school).

That being said, there are LOTS of communities with lousy schools -- they're not all in inner cities -- plus, more importantly, the best way to deepen and broaden the support for charter schools is if the great majority of middle class Americans sees a benefit from them as well.

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Charter schools joining mainstream

HIGH SCORES, SPECIALIZED CURRICULUM DRAWING INTEREST IN AFFLUENT SUBURBS By Dana Hull

San Jose Mercury News

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/education/14859166.htm

A decade ago, charter schools existed largely on the fringes. Many were start-ups operating out of rented church basements -- alternatives to failing urban schools that struggled to teach the basics.

Now more than 200,000 California students are enrolled in 574 charters -- independently operated public schools that have wide latitude in what they teach and how they teach it.

While charters are still most popular in big cities and among low-achieving students, they're starting to take root in bedroom communities and affluent suburbs, creating stiff competition for regular public schools and drawing students from highly regarded private schools as well...