Idahoans for Choice in Education

Expanding Educational Choice for Idaho Families

CHARTER SCHOOL MYTHS: Darrel Deide

A presentation to the Caldwell, Idaho Rotary Club March 16, 2005

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about two of my favorite subjects, Charter Schools and School Improvement in Idaho.  For the past 30 years I have   been invited to Rotary and in every instance I have come here with an agenda, to sell you something.  Today is no different, some things never change.   I know that I have been here numerous times, because last week I was looking for some material on Tom Moore who was my assistant for over 20 years and who passed away last week.    I did not find the material I was looking for about Tom but I did find a number of certificates from the Caldwell Rotary Club indicating my presence here numerous times.  In that search for something on Tom I did find a recording of a speech that he gave about 16 years ago.    That recording, from a conference at NNU was taped by your fellow Rotarian Bob Nicholes.  Tom’s speech back in 1989  was titled the ”State of Public Education Today.”  That speech has relevancy to what I want to talk about today.    He started that speech with the following:  Idaho schools have the best teachers,  they are better trained with greater technology and greater resources than ever before, yet we still have kids who can’t read,  too many kids never finish high school and many can’t properly complete an employment application form.  Why?  Because our public school system is flawed!  It is a monopoly that has no competition, little accountability and will remain that way unless we “open the door a crack  to let a little fresh air in.”  Of course Tom was referring to competition when he referred to that “breath of fresh air.”  Charter Schools are that “breather of fresh air” that degree of competition that is necessary for the improvement of any enterprise.     Tom was a little ahead of his time as he advocated giving education choice for Idaho families.   Today that theme is more popular and gaining momentum, although Charter Schools and Education ChoICE-PAC still has its critics and naysayers.

Today I would like to disarm the critics, the naysayers and destroy some of the Myths surrounding Charter Schools and hopefully a little time for Q & A.  My association with Idaho Charter Schools started in 1997 when I was part of the Interim Committee that drafted the first Charter School Law and later a co-sponsor of that Legislation on the floor of the Idaho State Senate.  Since that date the movement has grown at the rate of about 25%  per year.  We now have 18 charter Schools with about 6000 students and 6 more schools set to open for the 2005-06 school year.

Like most controversies, misinformation fuels the majority of the problem.  However, with the educational establishment the discontent runs much deeper.  The teacher’s union sees the movement as a threat!  They fear a loss of Directorship as most teachers in Charter Schools are not union Directors.  The rest of “Education Incorporated” are just uncomfortable with the education change that charter schools are sure to bring.    Now for the myths.

Myth #1:  Charter schools are in reality private schools paid for with Public funds.  False!  In every sense Charter Schools are public schools.  They are open to all students, regardless of race, religion, ability level or interest.  They can’t discriminate, can’t charge for servICE-PACs and essentially “play” by the same set of rules as the traditional public school.

Myth #2   Charter Schools cost more to operate than traditional public schools.  Again Not True, unless 2 is greater than 3 or 5 is greater than 8.   The typical public school receives 2/3 of it’s revenue from the State and 1/3 from local property taxes.  Charter Schools do not have taxing authority thus they receive no property tax revenue and therefore operate at about 1/3 less than the traditional public school.

Myth #3   Charter Schools take funds away from traditional public schools.  False.  In Idaho the State money follows the student.  Consequently, when a student or students move to another City or another School District or to a Charter School, the State money follows the student.  However, the property tax proceeds remain resulting in an increase in revenue per student not a decrease!

Myth #4  Charter Schools have an elite student body.  Again False.  The schools are open to all, rich, poor, brown and white.  No discrimination.    If there is a common “thread” or similarity in the type of student it is the fact that they all have a parent who has in some overt way made an effort to see that their child was enrolled in that Charter School.

Myth # 5  Charter School Boards do not get along with their counterparts in the School District in which they operate.  Generally that is also false.  We are all aware of some conflicts but that is the exception rather than the rule.   A good example of the rule, is in Caldwell where the Vallivue  School Board is very supportive and helpful of Thomas Jefferson Charter School

Myth #6   Charter Schools are a fad and will not last.  I don’t think so!  There is a 25% growth rate here in Idaho, there are huge waiting lists to enroll in Charter Schools and more and more parents are interested and value educational choice.  That “genie” is out of the “bottle” and I don’t think it will ever get back in.  In fact, the opposite will probably occur as we see other innovations providing parents with an educational choice for their children.

Myth #7   Charter schools have not impacted traditional schools as the original advocates had hoped.  False again.  There are multiple signs that the traditional school districts have seen the exodus of students from their districts and they see the growing waiting lists.   This has led to the traditional districts providing more parental choice by opening magnet schools with varying emphasis as well as changing methodology to meet parents expectations.  Boise and Meridian are the best examples.

Myth #8    Again False!  According to the Center for Policy Studies at Boise State University:

      Idaho Charter Schools are among the highest achieving schools in Idaho.

      90% of parents, who have children enrolled in charter schools, believe that their school is performing well.

Myth #9   Charter Schools erode or take away local control.  I would suggest that if you are concerned about local control that you ask any Charter School Board member and ask them to compare their degree of control in  their traditional district compared to the degree of control they now have as a Charter School board member.  What could be more LOCAL than a group of parents coming together and establishing and providing the governance for a new school?  That is reminiscent of what might have happened in the community of Caldwell back in 1884 when the first public school opened it’s doors.  A group of parents decided that they needed a school and they worked, organized and with persistence established the first school in Caldwell.

Myth # 10   Charter Schools are not accountable.   In fact Charter Schools are MORE accountable than their traditional counterparts.  They  must conform with all of the laws and regulations that traditional schools do, plus they have the highest form of accountability,  their parents can choose to withdraw their children at any time and of course with the student goes the money.    ChoICE-PAC is the highest form of accountability!

What I have provided are the 10 most popular myths surrounding charter schools.  We have time for a few questions.

Question?   If interested  parents continue to withdraw their students from the traditional school won’t the result be a situation of the haves and have nots?

Answer:   Because a parent is interested in their child’s education does not mean that the child is part of the best and brightest.  Interested parents also have kids who are under achievers, are discipline problems, have learning disabilities and mirror the general population.   In the near term, the degree of parent involvement in the traditional school might decrease, but in the long term we will create a larger population of involved parents because  parental choice will significantly enhance parent involvement.  Nothing creates  involvement like ownership!

Question?   Why do most parents choose a charter school?

Answer:   Probably in general the principle reason is that they are in some way not satisfied with the traditional school that their child attends.  Those reasons can run the gamut from size of school to the discipline expected. 

Again thanks to the Rotary Club for providing me this opportunity to discuss one of my favorite subjects!

ICE-PAC

P.O Box 933

Boise, ID 83701