Supposedly, there are systems in place to make sure that when state or local government provides a service, it hires the best contractor to do the job. You know, if they find one who can build roads and bridges that last twice as long as the average for the same price as everybody else, they go with that contractor.
Except when it comes to education. The evidence is in – on balance, charter schools (which are public schools) do a better job educating our children (and did you know that children are our future?) than traditional public schools. That is why you see parents clamoring to get their students into them, and in some cases weeping when they don’t “win” the lottery. The waiting lists are long and getting longer. In Lawrence, where both local charter schools held their annual lotteries this week (read about it here) the Community Day Charter Public School had a waiting list of 755 four years ago. Now it stands at more than 930. The Family Development Charter School waiting list has grown from 255 to more than 600 in the same period.
In a sane world that really cared about “the children,” our elected leaders from Gov. Patrick on down through the Legislature would be encouraging the creation more charter schools to meet that pent-up demand. Instead, because the teachers’ unions hate charters (they are not controlled by the unions), there are various caps on them.
Think about that the next time your elected representative or senator tells you how much he or she cares about education and your children.
