Charter schools, private schools and home schooling were popping up to challenge the public school monopoly. My weekly take on America's news, culture and ideas -- from exactly 30 years ago.
When the charter concept was initially floated it sounded very promising, and one notable, prominent supporter was Al Shanker, president of the AFT, one of the greatest advocates of professionalism among teachers. But Shanker’s enthusiasm didn’t last, withering as the good idea was co-opted early on by strong corporatist forces. They became dominant, and the reality of the charter movement shifted from audacious and dedicated single-school communities to slickly promoted public/private enterprise schemes marketing their product with ruthless hype. Though that analysis may seem simplistic and reductive it is a concise summary of the actions of the biggest charter operator in Los Angeles, Green Dot / Animo. I taught at a high school in Watts when they were sending young shills door-to-door to spread lies about other schools in the area, including the one where I taught. This was while their operation on our campus occupied a new building paid for on the public dime through LAUSD’s charter-friendly program of ‘co-location ‘ (allowing charters to use public school classroom space). The Green Dot school on the Jordan High campus eventually folded, which wasn’t much of a surprise: by then Green Dot had a well-established reputation for closing schools, often quite suddenly, that fell below their enrollment threshold. They actually stuck around at Jordan a bit longer than expected, but the writing was on the wall when a fight broke out during one of their 35 student graduation ceremonies. Charters are a distraction, but they’re not generally as great as they want the public to believe. At this point the charter ‘industry’ has one overwhelming factor going for it: more people are disappointed in public education. than realize how mediocre (or worse) charters are as an alternative.
When the charter concept was initially floated it sounded very promising, and one notable, prominent supporter was Al Shanker, president of the AFT, one of the greatest advocates of professionalism among teachers. But Shanker’s enthusiasm didn’t last, withering as the good idea was co-opted early on by strong corporatist forces. They became dominant, and the reality of the charter movement shifted from audacious and dedicated single-school communities to slickly promoted public/private enterprise schemes marketing their product with ruthless hype. Though that analysis may seem simplistic and reductive it is a concise summary of the actions of the biggest charter operator in Los Angeles, Green Dot / Animo. I taught at a high school in Watts when they were sending young shills door-to-door to spread lies about other schools in the area, including the one where I taught. This was while their operation on our campus occupied a new building paid for on the public dime through LAUSD’s charter-friendly program of ‘co-location ‘ (allowing charters to use public school classroom space). The Green Dot school on the Jordan High campus eventually folded, which wasn’t much of a surprise: by then Green Dot had a well-established reputation for closing schools, often quite suddenly, that fell below their enrollment threshold. They actually stuck around at Jordan a bit longer than expected, but the writing was on the wall when a fight broke out during one of their 35 student graduation ceremonies. Charters are a distraction, but they’re not generally as great as they want the public to believe. At this point the charter ‘industry’ has one overwhelming factor going for it: more people are disappointed in public education. than realize how mediocre (or worse) charters are as an alternative.