| Public Perception of Chartered Public Schools |
6/7/04 7:12 AM |
| Author:
Paul Krafel
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1. I find many people who think charter schools are not public schools. That misperception weakens their support for our schools. Therefore I use the term "chartered public schools".
2. When we discuss quality education, many of us confront a challenge of defining quality independent from test scores. Some of us believe that a narrow focus on test scores is one of the things crippling public education. We set up schools where the emphasis is very different. The parents and students who come to our schools tend to be very grateful and supportive. They know the difference and experience us as offering quality education. But the difference, so obvious to them, does not manifest as higher test scores. It shows up in enthusiasm for learning and school, in the way students make connections with the world around them, in the way they interact with one another. All this is missed if research and publicity focuses on test scores as the measure for assessing a chartered public school's effectiveness. So part of the charter movement's challenge is expanding our culture's understanding of quality education beyond just test scores.
Posted as a reply to:
Influencing Policy by Bob Montgomery 
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