The Denver Post’s Jeremy Meyer reports that Denver Public Schools is closing the troubled Amandla Charter Academy — a contract school re-applying to become a charter school.

Given the known facts (a checkered past, ongoing financial problems, poor academic results, and lack of a “coherent education program”), it looks like a tough but very good decision by the school board. Public charter schools are an important option in the school choice menu, the institution should be strengthened, and their leaders and managers should be empowered for success.

But we have to recognize one of the inherent strengths of charters is that they can be closed down effectively if they fail. That being said, Edspresso is correct to emphasize that decision makers must be “serious about understanding and reviewing original data before making conclusions” about charter school closures.

For every Amandla that (as far as I can tell) deserves to be shut down, there is a Cesar Chavez, West Denver Prep, Ridgeview Classical, and many other Colorado charter schools that are doing great work providing families successful alternatives to the traditional public education model.

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Virginia Walden Ford, the parental crusader for school choice and opportunity — who recently appeared on an iVoices podcast — is featured along with real parents and students in this tremendous Reason Foundation video about the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. It’s worth the 5 minutes to watch:

Just a heads-up that I don’t plan to stop writing about this issue as long as Congress and the President continue to undermine this successful opportunity for inner-city kids.

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Detroit Public Schools is far from the model of educational success. In fact, it’s one of the worst-performing school systems in the country. For example, look no further than the abysmally low graduation rates.

One of the problems that could be addressed would be the tremendous difficulty to remove ineffective classroom teachers. It is so difficult and costly to do that on the occasions when Detroit (and the problem isn’t isolated there by any stretch of the imagination) actually tries to remove poor performers, they have to resort to offering settlements worth many months of pay and promises not to reveal the reason for their terminated employment.

That’s for teachers who show extensive evidence of not being cut out for the job — or in some cases, even worse.

As the Education Action Group has uncovered (PDF), though, there is one sure way to ensure the removal of a Detroit Public Schools instructor. From a local union official’s own mouth, fire him or her for not paying union dues or fees: Continue Reading »

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I love rollercoasters, but not when my emotions are riding on them. This morning is the bottom of the hill, and the ride has been fast. I just found out that the House Education Committee has killed (though not “double-super-killed” this time) a chance to expand educational opportunity for Colorado’s autistic students.

Colorado Senate News has the sad details:

Senate Bill 130, authored by Senate GOP Whip Nancy Spence, was a groundbreaking proposal to create the state’s first charter school specifically serving children with autism. Spence, of Centennial, the GOP’s ranking member on the Senate Education Committee, won support for her bill on both sides of the aisle, including from Senate President Peter Groff. Groff, a Denver Democrat, has often made headlines with his advocacy of wide-ranging school reforms and is leaving his post at the end of the 2009 legislative session to help guide education policy in the Obama administration.

Yet, Spence says, it ironically was some of Groff’s fellow Democrats in the House who killed the bill this afternoon in the House Education Committe. Spence said she had been told earlier that if she didn’t agree to water her bill down, it likely couldn’t pass the House.

“This underscores a deep and growing rift over education reform in the other party,” Spence said. “When you look at how key Democrats on education policy like Peter Groff and (Denver Sen.) Chris Romer stood by this bill only to have their fellow party members defend the status quo and defeat this propsoal [sic] in the House, you have to wonder if the two sides are heading for a showdown at some point.”

I’m sure there’s something profound I should be able to say about the future dynamics of education policy within the Democratic Party.

But right now, I just feel like crying in my Cap’n Crunch. Let me tell you what: The Cap’n is pretty angry, too, about putting the interests of adult lobbying groups ahead of kids with autism. The fight for choice and opportunity isn’t over, and I’m certainly glad the Cap’n and his well-armed fleet of crispy, sugary goodness is on our side!

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