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Charter School Accountability: A Double-Edged Sword

Students, families and educators in many cities and states are prohibited from experiencing the power of a charter school education or face regularly assaults on the efforts to expand choice and innovation in education. The story here is one example being highlighted during National Charter Schools Week 2016.

While accountability is critical to ensure students are getting the outcomes they deserve, getting accountability right is even more important. If charter school advocates aren’t conscientious, schools like Rainshadow in Nevada that are dedicated to giving students a second chance will no longer exist.

Nevada law requires that the state shut down any charter school that earns the lowest possible ranking on the state system for three years in a row. This law, and laws like it in other states, would all but doom charter high schools like Rainshadow, where 75% of students enter as credit-deficient, that serve and prioritize the most at-risk students.

“A charter school that looks awful on paper might be exceeding all expectations with the students it serves, and therefore charter school accountability can be a double-edged sword that makes it harder for those schools to exist.”

The story from Max Eden, a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, specializing in education policy, at The 74.