Saturday, June 29, 2019 | 2 a.m.
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This coming week, the nationwide charter school movement is gathering at Mandalay Bay for the National Charter Schools Conference. Nearly 5,000 teachers, school leaders, policy experts and advocates are coming together to share best practices, assess the shape of public charter schools across America, and look to the future.
For 2019, political challenges for public charter schools are at the top of the agenda. While charter schools have traditionally enjoyed strong bipartisan support — how many other issues have President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump agreed on? — the influence of teachers unions, which typically oppose charter schools, has caused some presidential candidates — notably Sen. Bernie Sanders — to launch misguided attacks on charters.
Meanwhile, several states, including California, have fallen sway to political forces that seek to blame charter schools for problems that have afflicted public education for decades, including underfunding, racial segregation rooted in housing patterns, and unsustainable pension obligations. These states are trying to squelch charter school growth, despite the success of charter schools in bringing high-quality, innovative public school options to students who have lacked them for too long.
Nevada has taken a smarter approach. While the Legislature this year did consider a moratorium on new charter schools until 2021, legislators across party lines instead decided to strengthen what’s working well in Nevada and make changes to ensure that more schools meet high standards.
More than 50,000 students now attend more than 80 charter schools in Nevada – that’s more than 10% of all K-12 students in the state. The State Public Charter School Authority promotes accountability by monitoring and closing schools that don’t meet high standards. This is a big reason why 44% of charter schools are 4- or 5-star schools versus just 30% of traditional public schools.
The reforms passed in the Legislature this year advanced a combination of accountability and flexibility. As the number of special education students and English-language learners educated in charter schools continues to grow, the Legislature clarified responsibility for ensuring that all students receive the services they need. Charter school authorizers will also be required to conduct regular site visits, and they now have the flexibility to extend charter contracts for between three and 10 years, depending on school quality.
The Legislature also took steps to address problems in online charter schools. The charter school authority will now monitor online schools within a framework specifically designed for online providers, including making sure students complete online assignments.
Legislators made the right decision by not curtailing charter schools through a moratorium this year. Looking ahead, they should ensure that the reforms they pass are used to promote quality and don’t become a backdoor to limit growth. They should also resist calls for future moratoriums and finish the job of providing the additional oversight necessary to see that online schools deliver the education they promise.
Providing funding to help charter schools pay for facilities would also put charter school students on more equal footing with their peers in district-run schools.
State legislators and families agree that as Nevada grows, the charter school sector should grow along with it. With more people moving to the state, it’s important to have schools that match the many different ways children learn. The presence of high-quality schools will help to ensure that more people see Nevada as an attractive place to live, raise families and start businesses.
Our movement couldn’t have picked a better place to meet than here in Nevada. There are good things happening in this state that the rest of the country should learn from.
Pat Hickey is executive director of the Charter School Association of Nevada and former Assembly minority leader. Nina Rees is president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools based in Washington D.C.
