State grants clean slate for failing charter school
03/16/2016

 

Earlier this week, we wrote about Career Academy Charter School as an example of how charter schools in Indiana can skirt accountability and transparency. The charter school appealed an earlier decision by the Indiana Department of Education that denied the school’s request to erase years of “F” accountability grades after seeking a new charter sponsor. However, the appeal was granted in a unanimous decision by the state board at its meeting today, giving way to a clean slate for the charter school.

 

Nobody from Career Academy appeared at the meeting today to support the request for a “New School Improvement Baseline” request.

 

However, ISTA did take the opportunity to testify before the board to speak about the need for more charter school reforms to be more accountable to kids and taxpayers. ISTA reminded board members that doing so was a part of ISTA’s legislative agenda. Efforts to introduce those reforms this legislative session were unsuccessful.

 

Several states have begun to pump the brakes on further charter expansion. This week Michigan lawmakers are moving forward with legislation to block new charter school expansion in Detroit with backing from Republican Gov. Snyder.

 

According to the Detroit News:

 

The latest plan floated in the Senate would revive Snyder’s proposed citywide Detroit Education Commission and empower it to block new charters from setting up shop in Detroit near existing high-performing schools operated by the district or charters.

 

Charter school lobbyist Gary Naeyaert says the proposed commission is designed to increase the enrollment of the new Detroit school district at the expense of competitors.

 

“(The proposed bill language) proves the goal of the DEC is to manage and control school choice by propping up the new traditional district at the expense of charters and parental choice,” said Naeyaert, executive director of the Great Lakes Education Project, a pro-charter school group aligned with the wealthy DeVos family of west Michigan.

 

Walsh (Gov. Snyder’s strategy director) said the governor’s office is seeking “quality choice” for Detroit’s fractured educational landscape.

“It’s not anti-choice at all,” Walsh said. “It’s to help with the market a little bit so we don’t waste taxpayer dollars on schools next to schools.”

 

ISTA will continue to push for more charter school reforms that include safeguards, which depend on student learning thresholds, protect taxpayer dollars, and require transparent, public operations. Other states are looking to take a common sense approach. Let's work to ensure that Indiana takes the lead on this, too.