Close
Current temperature in Boston - 62 °
BECOME A MEMBER
Get access to a personalized news feed, our newsletter and exclusive discounts on everything from shows to local restaurants, All for free.
Already a member? Sign in.
The Bay State Banner
BACK TO TOP
The Bay State Banner
POST AN AD SIGN IN

Trending Articles

Wellness expo brings community support to Roxbury residents

Sarah-Ann Shaw, Boston's reporting legend, 90

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey honors first African American Master Distiller’s legacy

READ PRINT EDITION

Lift the cap on charter schools

Melvin B. Miller
Lift the cap on charter schools
“Well, it seems like we have been on the waiting list forever.”

School bells will soon be ringing and parents will once again be concerned with the quality of education for their children. This is not a problem for the affluent, who can afford the expense of private schools, but for others the choice is limited.

Now the evidence is in. According to a scientifically sound study by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes, charter school students in Massachusetts have generally outperformed public school students. It is no wonder then that waiting lists for charter school enrollment have become unreasonably long.

The number of charter schools that can be established in any district is limited by law. Education reformers want to lift that cap in low-performing districts. There is no rational reason to deny students an opportunity for academic success where public schools have failed.

The proposed education budget for Boston for the 2013-2014 school year is $934.4 million of taxpayers’ money. Citizens have the right to demand that their funds be spent in the most effective manner. Clearly that would include the development of more charter schools.