It's Time to Start Supporting Charter Schools

A recent editorial by Bob Brown, the executive director of the West Virginia School Service Personnel Association, stating that Senator Wells is not a supporter of public schools is a perfect example of trying to steer the discussion about charter schools away from issues of teacher empowerment, accountability and innovation and move the conversation into the familiar politico-scape of us versus them. Frankly, I believe this was an unconscious reaction by Mr. Brown, he simply does not know how to agree with Senator Wells that “chartering allows teachers to experiment and innovate in ways that are difficult in regular public schools, an opportunity that holds some attraction for progressive teacher union leaders” and still believe that he is a good steward of his association. 

 

Mr. Brown should be a valuable voice in the transformation of public education. “Including teacher and service personnel associations as partners in transforming public education is essential to achieving the ultimate goal of improving student learning. Progressive leaders have begun to recognize that fundamental cultural change in their own organizations is a precondition to broader reforms that will culminate in better education for students” says Adam Urbanski, director of the Teacher Union Reform Network (TURN). 

 

Senator Wells’s support of public charter schools is ample proof that he is a strong supporter of public education because he knows that this issue will create new ideas and issues for policy makers, teacher associations, districts, teachers, communities and students and open the door for the cultural change that is necessary in public education and teaching. Public education in West Virginia is in a transformative stage having reached the tipping point where the status quo will no longer suffice. “Continuing with business as usual will not give us different results. People committed to public education all know that we must experiment with new ideas, which includes new methods and modes of employing teacher talent and time. Chartering schools permits, but does not by itself create innovation and entrepreneurship. Teacher satisfaction and job security can support, but do not in themselves guarantee, improved student learning.” 

 

(Quotes from a symposium on The Future of Charter Schools and Teacher Unions”, held October 2006 as part of the National Charter School Research Project led by the Center for ReInventing Public Education at the University of Washington)