THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 4, 1996 TAG: 9602030025
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
Charter schools are viewed by some as a panacea, by others as a threat to public education and democracy. State Superintendent of Public Instruction William C. Bosher Jr. is a lot closer to the mark when he says they ``won't be the salvation of local schools nor will they destroy'' them.
Bosher regards charter schools as just ``another tool.'' He's surely right, and it is amazing so innocuous a concept is capable of stirring up so much controversy. Under legislation proposed by Del. Phillip A. Hamilton of Newport News, local school districts could establish up to two charter schools each.
Charter schools would be part of the public-school system and employ licensed teachers. They'd be required to meet state academic standards and to choose students in a nondiscriminatory manner. But they would be freed from many state regulations and freer to manage their own budgeted funds. Charter schools could be started by teachers, parents or other interested parties by submitting a charter to school officials.
A charter school could be designed according to open-classroom principles or to promote values education or to go back to basics. In other states, single-sex charter schools have been tried as have schools with strict military regimentation. Others have resembled magnet schools in emphasizing the humanities, arts or sciences. In fact, Education Secretary Beverly Sgro has described charter schools as essentially magnet schools with more control over their money. It is easy to envision charter schools organized to meet the needs of at-risk or learning-disabled children.
Opponents worry that charter schools will lead to balkanization or elitism, but an equal educational opportunity for all doesn't have to mean one-size-fits-all schools. Different students have different needs. And if all students need to acquire certain core knowledge and competencies, that doesn't mean there's only a single correct route to the goal.
Research shows that all kinds of schools can produce results. What diverse but successful schools seem to have in common are a shared vision, a strong leader, committed teachers and parents and motivated students. Charter schools of many kinds can be designed in order to approach that ideal. And they may have a better chance to succeed because those in them are self-selected and have a personal stake in their performance.
If charter schools fail to live up to expectations, they suffer marketplace consequences because parents get a vote. They choose to have their children enroll and can choose to return them to conventional public schools if disappointed. Conversely, if an individual charter school succeeds, it can serve as a model for others.
There are now more than 200 charter schools in 19 states that permit them. Virginia should join their number. Experimenting with charter schools won't undermine conventional public education, but it might just improve it. by CNB