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Show Hinckley Journal of Politics Spring 2000 There are problems with charter schools. Until now the movement has taken place on a limited state-by-state basis. More studies need to be done before charter districts crop up and the charter school is adopted on a national level. There are those who will always attack charter schools as an idea that undermines education as a "public good." Teachers' unions will most likely oppose any major movement toward charter schools, because under such a system teachers have much more accountability and could be fired more easily. Many charter schools have religious affiliations and this leads some to voice concerns over the separation of church and state. Proponents argue that by retaining some public control in the form of a contract between the schools and a public agency, the educational system does not become driven by profit as would happen if the schools were privatized. In addition, charter schools would not require a huge increase in funding. While additional funds may be needed, the extra money would go to areas that have been proven to improve education, as opposed to the dumping of funds into areas that do not produce results. Conclusion In the United States today, public schools are plagued by teacher inefficiency, bloated administrations, and low test scores. These problems are especially bad in urban schools which are in many cases also confronted with the additional problem of school violence. The question is no longer, "Do the public schools need to be fixed?" but is rather, "How do we fix the public schools?" This is something that both sides of the ideological spectrum can agree on. But the debate gets more intense after that. Should the public schools be privatized? Should a voucher system be introduced? Or is school funding too low and not properly administered? Do teachers' unions have too much power or do teachers need to be paid more so that the best and the brightest are drawn to the profession? Those at the Democratic Leadership Council believe the best option is a Third Way: a system of charter schools which are publicly accountable but free from the strict regulations that apply to schools today. Critics from both ends of the ideological spectrum believe that the DLC's plan is simply the middle ground. The plan offends teachers' unions - but not as much as privatization would - and conservatives - but not as much as if nothing were done at all. It appeases those middle class citizens who want some school system reform but who are not quite ready to redesign the system completely. This is not the first time the DLC has been charged with "splitting the difference," or in other words, just taking components from the left and the right and mixing them together into a bland concoction of moderate politics. But as Bill Clinton's presidency has shown, the "Third Way" has had a profound effect on America's political landscape. One needs to look no farther than George W Bush and Al Gore to see that the trend toward moderate politics shows no signs of abating. The DLC argues that in keeping with its Third Way approach, education reform attempts should be based on recent educational data and logical solutions. Members of the DLC believe that their reform proposals are not affected by special interest groups who are only looking out for their own constituency. However America decides to reform education, one can only hope that for the benefit of schoolchildren in years to come, partisans can put aside their differences, not repeat past mistakes, and work together to improve the public schools. References Ballou, Dale and Stephanie Soler. 1998. "Addressing the Looming Teacher Crunch." Progressive Policy Institute Backgrounder, February. Bolick, Clint. 1997. "School Choice, the Law, and the Constitution: a Primer for Parents and Reformers." Heritage Foundation Backgrounder, Issue 1139. Elam, Stanley, Lowell C. Rose, and Alec M. Gallup. 1996. "The 28th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes toward the Public Schools." Phi Delta Kappan, 78(l):41-59. Hanushek, Eric A. 1986. "The Economics of Schooling: Projection and Efficiency in Public Schools." Journal of Economic Literature, 24(3), September 1141-77. Hanushek, Eric. 1997. "Improving Student Achievement." Progressive Policy Institute Backgrounder, June. Hechinger, Fred. 1983. "Is Private Schooling Preferable to Public Schooling? No." In Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Educational Issues, Ed. James W Noll. Guilford, CT: The Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc. Maginnis, Robert. 1994- Violence in the Schoolhouse: a Ten-Year Update, Washington, DC: Family Research Council. Marshall, Will. 1998. Director, Progressive Policy Institute. Interview by author, July 2. National Center for Education Statistics. 1995. The Mini-Digest of Education Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. Ravitch, Diane. 1985. The Schools We Deserve: Reflections on the Educational Crisis of Our Times, New York: Basic Books, Inc. Ravitch, Diane. 1997. "Student Performance Today." Brookings Institution Policy Brief, Issue 23. Ravitch, Diane. 1998a. "Lesson Plan for Teachers." Washington Post, 10 August, Al. Ravitch, Diane. 1998b. "A New Era in Urban Education." Brookings Institution Policy Brief, Issue 35. "School Reform Sweeps across Nation." 1993. BusinessjE&ucation Insider, Issue 33. Schroeder, Jon. 1997. "Defining a Proper Federal Role in Support of Charter Schools." Progressive Policy Institute Backgrounder, October. Soler, Stephanie. 1998. "House Republicans Fail Test on National Standards." Progressive Policy Institute Backgrounder, September. 53 |
