A recent analysis
completed in the state of Florida indicated that charter schools in the state
had received over $760 million in the last 15 years. These funds came from the
taxpayers. The report went to review the number of charter schools that had
closed during that time period and the limited results the state had in
trying to retrieve any of the funds from defunct schools. These are funds that had been diverted
from the regular public schools in the state to help prop up schools founded by
parent groups that were hoping to establish schools that were a better fit for
their children than traditional public schools.
In Florida there is a state- established formula to determine
how much a charter charter school received in funding. This money can be used
for capital purchases like portable classrooms and computer equipment. The
litmus test, of course, is how do these students perform in state mandated
assessments and how prepared they are for careers/ higher education programs.
Cities like Philadelphia and New York had magnet schools decades
ago. These were public schools open to any student who applied and met the
admissions criteria. There is no doubting that Bronx High School of Science and
Philadelphia’s Central High School and Philadelphia High School for Girls were successful
in their goals and achievements. It might be time to revisit this model as a
viable alternative to charter schools.
C.2015 J. Margolis
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