The Good, the Bad & The Maybe on Charter Schools

Three recent articles seem to capture the promise and the peril of the charter movement all at once.

First, there was my piece exploring the evolving case law that challenges the notion that public charters are indeed, under the law, public schools.

Then there was the news from a recent study suggesting that charters are not, as is widely believed, pushing out kids with special needs at a disproportionate rate.

And then there was the question of whether charter schools should allow children who live in the neighborhood to receive preferential treatment in the admissions process.

Good food for thought on all fronts — and a reminder to me that anyone who speaks of charter schools as purely good or evil should not be trusted. As with interpreting the law, the best answer is almost always, “It depends.”

Happy Friday.