Continued: Editorial: Charter schools need stronger oversight

An important review of Minnesota charter schools by the state auditor found positive news on finances and mixed results on student performance. But a third area -- oversight and monitoring -- rightly raised the key concerns and dominated the recommendations made in the report released this week.

Financially, about 25 percent of charter schools were struggling in 2002. Last year, about 13 percent were in operating debt, less than the percentage of traditional school districts in trouble. The numbers suggest that budgeting reforms made in previous legislation are working.

Academically, charters posted lower test scores overall than traditional schools. But when schools with similar poverty, minority and mobility rates were compared, district and charter schools performed at the same levels.

In the areas of governance, monitoring and accountability, however, the charter system needs work. Under current law, a charter school can be sponsored by a school district, a college or university or a nonprofit. Auditors called the oversight provided by those sponsors and the state "unclear and often quite complicated.''

The report suggests smart changes in law that would clarify the roles of the Minnesota Department of Education and the sponsors. It suggests that the state approve sponsors, then give the sponsors authority to approve the schools. It also recommends that the state establish standards and provide training for sponsors.

Auditors sent surveys to all state charters and conducted more than a dozen visits. They found that the performance of charter sponsors is uneven. The best meet regularly with their schools, offer advice and guidance and require regular reporting. But in some of the worst examples, sponsors had no clue about what they were supposed to do and had little contact with their schools. In another case, a sponsoring organization was unaware that its school failed to meet adequate yearly progress standards required by law.

Yet, as lawmakers consider changes, they should be careful about too much regulation. Imposing too many restrictions would undermine one of the basics of the charter philosophy -- that the schools operate independently of the traditional public school system and are given more flexibility to experiment with different educational models. The Legislature must nurture new approaches to instruction while holding charters accountable to academic, financial and operational standards.

There is broad agreement about making sensible changes to improve oversight. Advocates such at the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools and the Center for School change have made similar recommendations. Some were included in the 2008 education policy bill that was developed by the House and Senate, but was vetoed by the governor. And the Department of Education is generally supportive of the changes.

Now armed with the auditor's confirmation, legislators should return to the issue during the 2008-09 session and pass the legislation needed to strengthen charter school accountability.

Recent Editorials stories

Editorial: Stimulus helped state - July 1, 2008

Editorial: Stimulus helped state - A 'rough ride,' but federal money helped cushion the blow. More

Comment on this story | Be the first to comment | Hide reader comments

New ideas for the public sector

THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME to create a more efficient Minnesota. Facing large budget deficits at the state, county and local levels, Minnesotans are seeing with new clarity that the public sector must adapt to new economic realities. Only the smartest, most strategic reinvention will ensure that our tax dollars are spent on the best programs and services. Read more

About Opinion Exchange

Opinion Exchange is produced by the Editorial Department, which is dedicated to hosting the discussion on a range of issues of interest to Star Tribune readers online and in print. In its new format, it's our hope that Opinion Exhange will create a more dynamic dialogue between Star Tribune readers and the Editorial Board. Many individual posts will be written and signed by members of the Editorial Board and will reflect their own opinions. Daily editorials will continue to represent the institutional voice of the newspaper and be researched and written by the Editorial Department, which is independent of the newsroom.

Subscribe to RSS|Learn more about RSS