There aren’t many charter schools among the 188 public schools designated last week as Four Star schools by the Indiana Department of Education.
It appears, in fact, there’s just one. The sought-after award, which denotes education excellence, requires that schools rank in the top 25th percentile in each ISTEP-tested grade and make adequate yearly progress as prescribed under the federal No Child Left Behind law..
Despite praise for charter schools from Gov. Mitch Daniels and other leading Republicans in the General Assembly, there seems to be little quantitative evidence that charters outperform traditional public schools.
That hasn’t deterred Daniels from backing an education reform agenda that endorses the expansion of charters. Democratic opponents say it could raise property taxes if districts have to share transportation funding or bus charter students. Daniels also want school districts to lease or buy buildings that are unused by students.
While the agenda’s tilt toward charters is clear, the logic isn’t. A recent Post-Tribune analysis of local ISTEP scores showed some charter schools languishing at the bottom with some of the lowest-performing traditional schools in Gary. More than 30 schools ranked higher than the highest-performing charter — the East Chicago Urban Enterprise Academy — on third grade results.
Other national studies have concluded the same thing: Charters aren’t the education panacea they’re portrayed to be.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett maintains charters offer quality education alternatives to parents. Bennett points to a Stanford University study that shows Indiana charter school students demonstrate stronger academic growth than students in traditional schools.
Teacher union leaders say the GOP’s real agenda is to weaken unions. Teachers in charter schools don’t belong to unions. Daniels has fueled the rancor, insisting union members care more about their wallets than educating children.
Lost in the charter rhetoric is Indiana’s disinterest in early education. Indiana is one of just eight states that spend no state dollars on preschool programs, universally hailed as the key to school success. That reform isn’t on anyone’s agenda.