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Paid attention7/12/2023 ![]() program in law and economics, at Vanderbilt Law School. Joni Hersch is the Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair and a professor of law and economics, as well as the co-director of the Ph.D. By researching political candidates and school board candidates’ positions on charter schools and attending open public school board meetings, we can effectively mobilize to support educational policies and resources that better serve the public interest. The role of charter schools in public education is increasingly relevant in elections such as in the mayoral race in Chicago. Stories like these are a powerful reminder of the importance of staying tuned in to the public education landscape in our communities. Hear more Tennessee voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought-provoking columns. In a 2022 speech, the president of Hillsdale College claimed that American teachers “are trained in the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges in the country.” Public criticism was followed by withdrawal of three pending Hillsdale-affiliated charter school applications, but they are trying again. ![]() However, local awareness of charter schools’ practices can result in much-needed scrutiny. Proponents of charter schools have succeeded in implementing governmental support structures that can overrule local school boards and local preferences. Opposition by parents and teachers at individual schools will certainly not be sufficient. In most states, local opposition will likely not be sufficient to stop charter school expansion. Bill Lee created a state educational board that could overrule any local denial of charter school applications. With the support of the state legislature, Tennessee Gov. In addition to receiving financial support from the state, Tennessee created an easier path for the entry of Hillsdale charters. In Colorado, the 1776 Project PAC intervened in local school board elections, helping fill the board with charter school supporters in two counties where Hillsdale-affiliated charter schools operate and are applying to operate. In Wisconsin, Hillsdale exploited the ability of tribal colleges to authorize charter schools after its proposed charter school in suburban Milwaukee was declined by every other authorizer in the state. Hillsdale-affiliated charters have been especially creative in circumventing opposition to expansion. But many states have established statewide boards that can overrule local opposition or allow numerous nongovernmental entities to authorize charter schools. In keeping with the goal of establishing charter schools responsive to the needs of the local community, local school boards are the most common authorizer. States set their charter school laws, and there is substantial variation regarding the authorizing entity. The speed with which the planned charter school takeover of fictional Abbott Elementary was halted may give hope to opponents of real-life charter schools, but the sitcom’s favorable resolution is far removed from reality. But research conducted over their three-decade history shows that charter schools have largely failed to provide the anticipated educational benefits and have discriminated against students, exacerbated racial segregation and been party to financial crimes. The original goal of charter schools was to better serve students in underperforming schools through innovative approaches that would be responsive to the needs of local communities. The funding is related to the per-student education cost that would have otherwise been provided to the charter student’s non-charter public school alternative. Charter schools are tuition-free and financed by public funds but are privately operated. Potentially adverse ramifications of charter schools also occur beyond the sitcom world. At the event, parents came to realize that their children could be kicked out of the charter school, would be admitted by lottery, and current teachers could be fired. ![]() Busy parents seemed unconcerned about a charter school takeover until they were tricked into attending an event. It is a heartwarming conclusion to an ongoing plot line in a popular sitcom that highlights the realities of an underfunded public school in Philadelphia and its contrast to a well-resourced charter school down the street. Threatened with a takeover by a charter school network, teachers and parents of students at Abbott Elementary School successfully rally in opposition. Gloria Johnson speaks against proposed charter schools
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