Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? You bet it would, but are there any roses that go by the name of charter school? Not really. It might be worth examining the decision to support charter schools.
Would a school by any other name smell as sweet? Image: Shutterstock
Why are Americans in favor of charter schools? Most people who voted for them don’t really know what they are. The Eli Broad Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and others have poured money into advertising for them as to how they will “transform” education. Maybe they will transform it. We just don’t know in what way. Will they make education better? Maybe. Will they make it worse? Who knows? It’s a risky gamble.
So, why again did people vote for them? Well, it all seems to come down to dollar signs. It’s easy to forget about the kids when dollar signs are in front of your eyes. I’m not talking about dollars for the voters, but for the independent corporations who believe they can make a hefty profit in the education market. Why? It’s because charter schools are privatizing education and, even so, they receive district money. So, if education becomes privatized, does that mean you can profit off it? Yes. While public schools have to follow the rules, charter schools don’t.
With all the money thrown at “the problem,” which by the way is never specified other than by calling it poor education, those with the money are trying to get us to see things in a different way. They have essentially paid for people to hear “charter school” as “better school.” Don’t you want to spend money on better schools? Of course you do. They’re better, aren’t they? Not really.
Find out the facts before you make a decision about the superiority of charter schools. A school by any other name does not smell as sweet. Support public schools.
