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Institute Urges Charter School Educators to Take Charge

Charter School educators should play a role in the design of their own futures, according to the recent Programs in Professional Education institute, Charter School: Charting a Course for the Coming Decade.

In the four-day institute, 85 educators from across the United States examined, discussed, and shared the many challenges facing charter schools and their communities, as well as the many accomplishments achieved to date.

Charter schools are not new to education, having been developed as early as the 1800s, but they are newly used as a reform strategy designed to improve educational outcomes for K–12 students. Despite the success of charter schools, many questions linger about how charters can develop a more equitable funding mechanism, establish better student performance outcomes, improve relationships with traditional schools, and overcome issues with No Child Left Behind.

In one of the first sessions, Professor Kay Merseth, chair of the institute, navigated the troubling areas of finances — a longtime area of debate for charter schools and traditional schools. Statistics reveal a discouraging difference between charter and traditional school students nationwide. Within the same district, charter schools typically receive less per pupil spending than the traditional public school.

“We’re all terribly proud to say charter schools are public schools,” Merseth said. “But what does the word public mean? It’s ironic that we don’t stop and ask the fundamental questions.”

Merseth agreed that money has become the biggest issue for schools in the past 15 years. “Why is money a lightening rod around school reform?” she asked. While looking at case studies, participants examined the structures and importance of funding between charter schools and traditional schools.

In addition to money issues, other recurring themes among institute speakers included how accountability affects charters, the role of authorization by states education departments, and strategic management. Among the featured speakers were David Driscoll, commissioner of education for the Massachusetts Department of Education; Peter Frumkin, professor of public affairs at University of Texas at Austin; Laurie Gardner and Eric Premack, codirectors of California Charter Schools Development Center; Michael Goldstein, founder and director of research and information for MATCH Charter Public High School; and HGSE Senior Lecturer James Honan.

By the institute’s closing, Merseth had examined the future of charters, particularly how culture, curriculum, human resources, professional development, organizational systems and structures, student population, parent involvement, staff relationships will all play a role in the shape of its future.

“If you allow others to determine your permanent criteria, you won’t be happy,” she said, urging many charter school educators to take responsibility and charge of how their schools are organized, structured, and ultimately, authorized.

She also reminded participants never to forget a crucial part of what they do. “It’s about three things — learning, learning, learning — focus on that,” she said.

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