The Myth Of Charter Schools: Diane Ravitch
I am not a believer in the push for privatizing various public services in American life for a variety of reason, mainly due to the idea that a democracy should be focused on the people in more than name only and the people’s money shouldn’t be used to primarily for private profit.
I found The Myth Of Charter Schools, (New York Review Of Books) by Diane Ravitch, a clear summarization of the problems associated with the privatization of the American public school system. I also included the 2009 Credo Study: Multiple Choice; Charter School Performance in 16 States (PDF) Ravitch referenced in the article.
A quote from the article hits the nail on the head:
“It bears mentioning that nations with high-performing school systems—whether Korea, Singapore, Finland, or Japan—have succeeded not by privatizing their schools or closing those with low scores, but by strengthening the education profession. They also have less poverty than we do. Fewer than 5 percent of children in Finland live in poverty, as compared to 20 percent in the United States. Those who insist that poverty doesn’t matter, that only teachers matter, prefer to ignore such contrasts. “
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/nov/11/myth-charter-schools/?page=1
