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Inside Kentucky’s charter school debate

Ky. Gov. Matt Bevin vows to make charters reality

by Ben Jackey
WLKY
February 26, 2016

Charter schools 101

The debate over charter schools has become the biggest question in Kentucky education.

A charter is an independently managed public school operating under a charter, or contract, with a governmental entity or a school board.

The idea is that these schools get to make their own decisions and some state restrictions are lifted to help improve outcomes for struggling students. The answer to whether charter schools work depends on which researcher is asked.

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin vows to make charters a reality in Kentucky.

Jefferson County Public Schools lag near the bottom of school districts across the commonwealth.

“My question for Dr. (Donna) Hargens is, ‘Why not try one?’” Kentucky Education Secretary Hal Heiner said.

When asked, Jefferson County Public Schools superintendent Donna Hargens refused to respond to what she called “speculation,” but said she believes school decisions are best left to public school boards.  Proponents argue charters offer choice, but Hargens contends that with 18 magnet schools and 52 magnet and optional programs, JCPS has plenty of options.

“Jefferson County Public Schools offers choices that some people don’t even realize that they have. So, I think the thing that attracts people is the ability to choose. What’s going to be the best fit for my son or daughter?” Hargens said.

“What gets in the way is why we don’t put the children and their needs first. Instead, the adults are first, and I see that so often. It’s like, ‘Don’t move my cheese. I like it just the way it is.’” Heiner said.

Why are the two sides so divided?

Two studies, out of Stanford called CREDO are a prime example of why supporters and opponents on charter schools are so divided.

A CREDO report in 2009 concluded charter students are “not faring as well as their traditional public school counterparts.”

The next CREDO report in 2013 said charters showed “slow and steady progress in the performance of the charter sector.”

There’s also a financial accountability debate.

Located in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Indianapolis, the Tindley Accelerated Schools are examples used by charter school proponents across the country.

The four schools bearing the Tindley name are about 95 percent African-American.

Two perform above state reading averages, two just below.

This month, Tindley schools also became examples pointed to by opponents of charter schools.

The CEO resigned amid criticism about spending on luxury hotels, gym memberships and first class airfare, while the school asked for an $8 million loan.

The Indianapolis mayor’s office oversees 33 charters, including the Tindley schools.

“There were internal controls and other significant deficiencies and material weaknesses that have shown up in their audits and we’ve been documenting schools and to correct them for several years now, and we have seen significant improvement,” Indianapolis Innovation Director Kristin Hines said.

“Would you consider Charters in Indianapolis by and large a success?” WLKY reporter Ben Jackey asked.

“Absolutely,” Hines said.

Time is of the essence

“If we haven’t figured it out, I think we ought to ask, ‘Has anybody figured it out?’ Is there some outside organization that we can bring in that has a different model?” Jefferson County Board of Education chairman David Jones said.

JCPS and Kentucky school districts have the option to bring a charter organization in to run a school.  There wouldn’t be an actual charter contract and the district would manage the organization. Many in the education world consider it charter light and has never been used in Kentucky.

Jones made a monumental move late last year by asking JCPS to look at this option for JCPS priority schools. Jones believes actual charter schools would take too long to be successful in a large district like JCPS. He said whatever the district decides, time is of the essence.

“Louisville can’t wait for Kentucky and we can’t wait for the United States to get this right,” Jones said.

Kentucky is one of just seven states that has not passed charter legislation.