Charter/traditional cross-fertilization proves elusive

Charter/traditional cross-fertilization proves elusive
In the two decades since charter schools began, little of what has worked for them has found its way into traditional classrooms, reports Javier Hernández for The New York Times. Political battles over space and money have inhibited collaboration, and the sharing of buildings, which could foster communication, has frequently led to conflict. Some charters have veered so sharply from the standard model -- with longer school years, nonunion workers, and flashy enrichment opportunities -- that their ideas are considered unworkable in regular schools. Public and private attempts to spur collaboration have underscored the difficulty in getting to idea-sharing, which charters were intended to foster. Charter leaders have defended their efforts, pointing to strong academic results in the poorest neighborhoods. But movement tactics are partly to blame for the reluctance of district leaders to work with them, some concede. "I got into this to create R & D for regular schools," says Steve Barr of Green Dot Public Schools, a charter network. "Sometimes we come off as if we've invented everything." Despite backlash, a few districts have adopted practices embraced by charters, including longer school days, smaller high schools, and more autonomy for principals. Charters serve 5 percent of public-school students nationwide, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, up from one percent in 2003. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

Published by LEAP

Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.

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