Fair is Fair

In a surprise move, the North Carolina State Board of Education recently approved controversial, new performance guidelines that, if not met, will result in the shut-down of charter schools. The policy, which takes effect this school year, mandates that at least 60% of a charter school's students must meet grade-level in testing for two of three consecutive years, or the school's charter will be revoked.

On its surface, the policy may sound reasonable; however, it does not take into account the fact that many charter schools have the innovative ability to focus on at-risk, academically and economically disadvantaged students. These children usually come from traditional public schools, where they may have been performing many grades below grade-level.

Even if a charter school makes great strides in student achievement, it may not realistically be able to bring students to grade-level within only two years. In effect, the policy has the potential to shut down charter schools that actually outperform local, traditional public schools when it comes to serving low-income, academically challenged students.

The issue becomes further complicated when considering the implications of the recent State Supreme Court decision indicating that many charter schools are already vastly underfunded according to state law. This ruling, combined with North Carolina's incentive to pursue innovation in charter school policy for Race to the Top funding, makes the timing of the State Board's decision even more suspect.

North Carolina should be proud of its charter schools, from schools like Raleigh Charter to those that cater to academically challenged students. No one is saying there should not be high standards, but when it comes to accountability “fair is fair.”