Charter Schools report

We wrapped up the business of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Charter Schools in Raleigh last week with a vote on the final report to be submitted to the State Board of Education. I supported many of the conclusions, particularly the emphasis on better student performance and the quicker closing of poorly performing schools.

However, I was the lone "no" vote on the final product due to my discomfort about the recommendation on the lifting of the cap of 100 schools. I agree that the cap should be lifted in a planned, controlled way, but in my opinion, the compromise reached by the Commission is convoluted and unpredictable. I prefer to "say what you mean and mean what you say" instead of saying high performing schools don't count towards the cap while totally ignoring the reality of an equal number of low performing schools. Given the political climate in Raleigh regarding charter schools, I doubt if this cap proposal will be successful. It certainly does not have my support.

[UPDATE: Pleased to see that the N&R editorial staff agrees with me.]