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Wyo. Needs Education Options, Says Activist

Posted on: Tuesday, 15 July 2008, 09:01 CDT

By Bill McCarthy

Jeanne Allen says many school boards feel threatened by charter schools; her group gave the state a "D" in charter school laws in February.

By Bill McCarthy

bmccarthy@wyomingnews.com

CHEYENNE - A change in Wyoming law would make it easier for communities to start charter schools, a nationally recognized education activist said here on Monday.

"Public education never was supposed to be about one system," said Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform in Washington, D.C.

In February her group graded charter school laws across the country, giving Wyoming a "D" as among the weakest.

The state's current law allows for only school boards to accept or reject creation of charter schools.

This spring the Laramie County School District 1 board rejected a proposed charter school, Cheyenne Classical Academy.

Allen said often school boards feel threatened by charter schools. But the question should be, she said, "Are we doing enough?"

"And frankly," she added, "I don't think we are doing everything we can."

Giving parents educational options, including charter schools, infuses a school district with competition as well as new ideas and flexibility, Allen said.

Charter schools, "support and complement" what districts are already doing as well as "maybe push (competition) a little bit," she added.

Better systems for starting charter schools allow for other panels to review decisions by school boards or for an independent agency to consider charter school requests, she said.

A state legislator told the Wyoming Association of Public Charter Schools at the same luncheon that she plans to introduce legislation to create a state-level body to authorize charter schools - if she is reelected in November.

"There's nothing wrong with giving parents a choice in education," said Rep. Amy Edmonds, R-Cheyenne.

Edmonds sponsored a charter school bill during last spring's budget session that failed introduction into the House by one vote.

The proposal would have established a separate panel to approve charters.

School boards would retain their authority to review the charter schools. But the state-level board would have the authority to consider appeals of schools rejected at the board level.

Edmonds said there is wide interest in charter schools and education reform in the Legislature. She added that her proposed bill has a better chance of passage in a general session, such as the one next spring.

States that have adopted systems where there are multiple boards with the ability to authorize charter schools have more success.

About 80 percent of the 4,200 charter schools in the nation operate in those states. There are three charters in Wyoming.

A charter school is a public school. It is formed by parents, educators or business people and is free of many rules that affect regular public schools.

School work must meet state requirements, Allen said, but more flexibility is allowed to accomplish those requirements.

The charter, which is an agreement, is also meant to keep the school, its administrators and teachers, accountable, Allen said.

(c) 2008 Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Source: Wyoming Tribune-Eagle

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