The renowned satirical publication The Onion has published a searing commentary on the role of charter schools in public education today.
There are any number of high quality charter schools across the country, and large numbers of hard-working, highly skilled teachers working in them. But in places like Washington DC and New York City, the rapid expanse of charter schools is raising serious systemic issues. In Washington DC, the public school system is struggling to build and renovate schools - and redraw attendance boundaries - to align resources with students. Yet a separate body continues to approve new charter schools that wreck havoc with any kind of long-range facility planning for the public schools. In New York City, the annual lottery for charter schools has made a mockery of "parent choice". As this Onion article so clearly points out: parents do not "choose" charters; it's a crap-shoot. Some children win.... most lose.
Thanks to the Onion for showing that one good parody can do more to educate people than a ream of policy papers!
http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-charter-school-lottery-system-gives-each-appli,36226/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview:1:Default
