Education commissioner reported working hard on charter legislation

The Herald-Leader reports that Kentucky Commissioner of Education Terry Holliday is working hard to get a proposal together for charter school legislation that will win more support from various education groups.

One thing is clear in this article. When it comes to education, you have to ask around to really find out what educators are thinking.

For example, Wilson Sears, executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents, told the newspaper that a recent poll of his organization’s members showed half were neutral on charters while the rest were evenly divided between opponents and supporters.

The article also quotes Sheldon Berman, the superintendent of the Jefferson County Public School District, saying, "I don't think there is a school superintendent in the state who is a champion for charter schools."

This might be mostly a semantics deal, but it seems like Dr. Berman is out of touch with the ‘supporter’ group of superintendents.

Berman became an outspoken foe of charter schools before he left Massachusetts to come to Kentucky, so he may not be the best choice for information about what others in Kentucky really are saying. Certainly, an alarming number of the most troubled schools in the state are found in his school district, especially in the high minority areas. So, it is time to try something else, like charter schools, that shows promise for disadvantaged students.

If not charters, then what?