Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Fairness for charter schools



More on what may happen in the wake of the Maryland Supreme Court's (correct) decision that charter schools should get equal funding:

Maryland's highest court sent a shock wave through the public-education establishment last month by ruling that charter schools are entitled to receive as much funding per pupil as regular public schools.
 
What a concept - the judges said bureaucrats cannot routinely shortchange public schools of choice just because they offer out-of-the-ordinary curricula and families flock to them.  

Unfortunately, the immediate impact of the Maryland Court of Appeals' decision may be limited. The court's ruling turned on the phrasing of current state law rather than constitutional principle.  

Legislative enemies of public schools of choice  already are lining up to rewrite the law in the 2008 session to empower  bureaucrats once again to deny charter schools equal funding. Of course, it is at least possible that equity will prevail.


----------------------

Fairness for charter schools
By Robert Holland  August 17, 2007  
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.charters17aug17,0,3323113.story

Maryland's highest court sent a shock wave through the public-education establishment last month by ruling that charter schools are entitled to receive as much funding per pupil as regular public schools.

 Subscribe in a reader