The Boston Globe reports that a new study on public schools in “Bean Town” shows that charter schools notably outperformed regular public schools and another non-standard experimental public school called “Pilot Schools.” The pilot schools are somewhere between regular schools and charters, with the main difference apparently being more union involvement in the pilots.
The research was conducted by a Harvard-MIT team, so the qualification of the researchers should have been well above average for usual education studies. The results were controlled to create a fair comparison of students in both charter and regular public school systems. The results are so remarkable that they could lead to an increase in the Massachusetts cap on charter schools.
Meanwhile, in good old Kentucky, we only have two – sorta – charters: the Model Laboratory School at Eastern Kentucky University and the Gatton School at Western Kentucky University. For the rest of us Kentuckians – nothing.
Why should kids in inner city Boston get a better education deal than our kids get?
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Boston Charter Schools Score High in New Study
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2 comments:
Gatton may be, but I seriously doubt that Model Lab at EKU is a fitting example of even a "sorta" charter. Model is an old, well, model, of a university lab school. But it has no waivers for any KDE policies. Rather than being free of any Master, Model serves two: EKU + Madison County both of which provide partial funding.
It simply does not fit the concept of a charter, much at all.
But there may well be a second, sorta, charter in Kentucky. A very high source at KDE tells me that Simmons University in Louisville conducts a public school that lies somewhere outside the typical structures.
Assuming that Gatton's specific legislation, and whatever relationship Simmons has going on, free the schools from following KDE policy; then youv'e got a charter - sorta.
Model Lab Schools can accept kids from all across the state, though practical traveling distances limit the true service area (There's no resident housing). To my knowledge, Model Labs Schools don't cut agreements with other districts for this, as the rest of the districts have to do in order to get state funding for these kids.
Also, the oversight structure is definitely non-standard with EKU having notable influence.
So, the three Model Labs Schools are a "sorta" charter.
Am I misinformed?
Thanks for the "heads up" on Simmons' school. Will check that out.
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