The Denver Public Schools board recently approved nine new charter schools — a move that was almost unthinkable not so long ago.
DPS, like many school districts, has come to realize the potential value of charter schools. We’re among the growing number of supporters who see in charter schools the seeds of reform that benefit not only the students they serve, but those who attend traditional schools in those districts.
Over the years, we’ve been mystified by the reluctance of many school officials across the state to accept charter schools.
It’s true there are some bad apples out there, and in the early days of the charter movement, there were some failed efforts. But pioneering education professionals also have come to see the usefulness of the charter experiment in helping both advance talented students and prevent underserved inner-city and minority students from dropping through the proverbial cracks.
As charters won interest and praise from some parents, some districts have stepped up their offerings at traditional public schools to remain attractive and competitive.
That said, there remain charter schools that aren’t serving students properly, and the Obama administration’s education secretary, Arne Duncan, was right to challenge those schools this week.
Duncan, a charter supporter, warned that the movement risked getting a black eye by “allowing too many second-rate and third-rate schools to exist.”
DPS officials need to remember that as they embrace charters to help turn around the district. Board members can’t be afraid to yank charters if schools are failing to meet their students’ needs.
A small but vocal opposition group rose up last week to try to delay the school board’s decision on new charters at DPS, claiming that the district had developed a charter-school bias.
The group, led by former Denver councilwoman Deborah Ortega, argued that parents weren’t being allowed to review potential charter applications or comment sufficiently.
But the district says the full applications were available to parents, and reporters and others had access to the documents for some time. While there’s always room to improve communications with parents, at least 10 community meetings were held across the district, allowing for ample interaction with DPS officials.
DPS’s new superintendent, Tom Boasberg, tells us that he doesn’t see charters as an “either/or, but as an either/and.”
By that, Boasberg means he wants to develop strong schools that work within the traditional framework, as well as other models that challenge the norms. Charters should be seen as a benefit, not a detriment.
The strategy makes tremendously good sense to us, and we’re pleased to see that kind of thinking at the helm of Denver’s schools.
