charter schools

Last week, I co-presented at the National Alliance for Public Charter School’s conference with the Colorado League of Charter Schools. The topic: How to think differently about the way we support, measure, and incent quality alternative schools.

One of the early criticisms leveled against charter schools was that they were “skimming kids” – that the lottery enrollment policy used by charters resulted in the admission of primarily the brightest, most motivated students. This argument has faded (at least in Denver) since charters here serve the same demographics as traditional schools, as well as the undisputed fact that many charters with lottery enrollment have done poorly (it would be an odd and circular argument indeed that the lottery process results in skimming only by successful charters). However, the pendulum has now swung to the other side. A new accusation making the rounds is that charter schools – many of whom are focused on low-income neighborhoods – are in fact increasing the economic segregation of our public school system.