Charter schools column misleading

 

I was chagrined that you would print a misleading, strongly pro-charter schools opinion piece by Jami Lund, of the Freedom Foundation, a (what you called “free market” when it is really “for-profit-feeding-on-public-funds) non-evidence based “think” tank.

First, charter schools do not operate in a free market. According to a New York Times editorial in 2006 (debatepedia.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:_Charter_schools), most money spent on charter schools comes from taxes and, increasingly, goes to “for-profit educational” corporations with top-heavy administrations, only one or two good teachers, many underpaid and often uncertified teachers, and little accountability.

Second, despite Lund’s enthusiasm (supplemented by “consulting”-firm paid, non-resident signature-collectors at Target in Issaquah and elsewhere), overall records of charter schools are no better than the public schools they seek to replace.

Third, their “competition” tends to suck taxes from public schools to pay for charter schools, in effect reducing funds to maintain quality in public schools.

For these reasons, as a grandparent of a public-school student in Issaquah, I do not want to see charter schools approved here. I hope readers in Issaquah and Sammamish will not fall for another “for profit” scheme that promises much, delivers little, and hurts quality in public schools.

Paul Eberts, Issaquah

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