Ramona Edelin
February 13, 2009
Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee is right to focus on improving teacher quality in the District's traditional public schools. But contrary to what has been implied by much of the news coverage of Ms. Rhee's proposed reforms, the D.C. government does not consistently back school reform.
The District's most successful school reform to date was the introduction of public charter schools 12 years ago. Publicly funded, nonselective and independently run, the District's public charter schools educate more than one in three D.C. students.
Their success is clear.
Disadvantaged secondary students in public charter schools are twice as likely to score at grade level or above as their peers in District-run schools.
Sadly, this school reform has been undermined by D.C. government, which has prevented public charter schools from leasing or buying vacated public school buildings at almost every turn. As a result, many D.C. public charter schools occupy warehouse, retail or office space and church annexes and basements.
The District closed 23 under-enrolled city-run schools last year and last week proposed closing three more. When will the city stop selling empty public school buildings to condominium and office developers and let public charter school students into them?
RAMONA H. EDELIN
Executive Director
D.C. Association of Chartered Public Schools