According to the article “Charter Schools and the Future of Public Education,” by Stan Karp, there is no difference in cognitive achievement when comparing charter school and non-charter school students. However, teachers in charter schools are paid significantly less and are often much more likely to become discouraged and quit their positions. By contrast with these differences in teachers’ salaries, charter school administrators are often paid much higher wages than those at public schools. In many cases administrators at charter schools have no salary caps. Beyond salaries, charter schools lack fiscal transparency due to the fact that they rely on private donations made by corporations and individuals.
Karp also maintains that charter schools are a return to a segregated educational system because they focus on grooming a select few children for success while leaving others in public schools neglected.
Karp’s main point is that, despite the claims, there is no evidence to prove that charter schools are superior to public schools. His piece ultimately leads one to question whether charter schools are worth the extra cost, considering that they promote stratification among students, fiscal inequality among teachers and administrators, and an educational environment that favors the interests of the institution and its administrative staff instead of its pupils.
Sources:
Stan Karp, “Charter Schools and the Future of Public Education,” Rethinking Schools: Of Mice and Marginalization, Fall 2013, http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/28_01/28_01_karp.shtml.
Ansley T. Erickson, “The Rhetoric of Choice: Segregation, Desegregation, and Choice,” Dissent Magazine, Fall 2011, http://www.tc.columbia.edu/i/a/document/18857_EricksonDissent.pdf
Student Researcher: Jordan Monterosso (Indian River State College)
Faculty Evaluator: Elliot Cohen (Indian River State College)