Let's Talk About Charter Schools

Recently, there has been quite a bit of talk in Richmond about the newest charter school on the block - Patrick Henry School for Science and Arts. Not only is Patrick Henry Richmond's first charter school, it is also Virginia's only elementary charter school - and it's already seen its fair share of controversy. You can check out the background on that controversy here.

But in the face of that controversy, test scores seem to indicate that students at Patrick Henry are thriving. If such gains are possible even with clear leadership issues, it stands to reason that the school could really soar if such issues were solved. Unfortunately, the board leadership of Patrick Henry can't do much to solve these problems because all hiring decisions are made by Richmond Public Schools, rather than internally. This framework is highly unusual among charter schools, most of which hire and operate independently of the school districts in which they reside. It is arguable that if the leadership at Patrick Henry were held directly accountable by its board of directors, repurcussions for mismanagement would be swifter and more decisive than the consequences RPS will provide. For this reason, the Richmond School Board is seeking to clarify Virginia's laws concerning charter schools and who oversees charter school employees.

I'll just come right out and say it - I hope the Virginia General Assembly chooses to shift accountability from RPS (or any other school district) to the charter school itself. If differences in test scores between students who attend the school and those who don't already stand where they do, I would be interested to see where the school could go when released from under the weight of RPS. As Michael Paul Williams wrote recently in the Richmond Times Dispatch, "a clearer line of demarcation would allow Patrick Henry and other schools to succeed or fail on their own terms." Charter schools throughout the nation are making strides toward closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and between students of various economic status, and it appears that Patrick Henry could be headed down the same path. However, in order for that to happen, the school must be given autonomy from RPS and the power to make hiring (or firing) and policy decisions.

What do you think?