N.H. Must Makes Its Laws More Charter-School Friendly

The late Albert Shanker, who led of the American Federation of Teachers, advocated Charter Schools as crucibles or laboratories for K-12 Public Schools.  And they have become just that.  Schools such as AIPCS have demonstrated one way to educate students whose only other choices are poverty, jail and violent death. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u2es5jHjDY). 

BASIS schools (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFQ6j-BPwTs) take kids from a wide spectrum of demographics and have them learning at a world class level.  These Charter Schools and many more show ways of improving K-12 Public Schools dramatically.

BASIS and AIPCS serve students that few public schools handle well at all.  BASIS shows us how to create world class schools by any standards that serves the needs of the more motivated kids.  AICPS demonstrates a way to educate many of the poorest and underprivileged kids in this country to a standard that actually exceeds that of wealthy suburbs.  AICPS closes the “achievement gap.”

New Hampshire has poor kids and motivated kids as well as kids with untold unmet needs.  We could benefit greatly from having BASIS, AIPCS and the like create schools here.  But that is not going to happen under current law.  Funding for Public Charter Schools must approach that of other public schools.  

Charter Schools can flourish with less funding than other public schools. But New Hampshire’s current funding is grossly inadequate. In addition, teacher certification requirements guarantee mediocrity, something anathema to BASIS and AIPCS schools. 

They hire and keep teachers based entirely on what students learn and on each teacher’s expertise in the subject they teach.  Requiring education credentials needlessly eliminates many of the very best teachers thereby depriving our students of the education they deserve. 

If New Hampshire is to have world class public schools, we need to have Charter Schools with proven track records such as BASIS and AIPCS to lead the way.  The current legislation creates a vertical playing field, counterproductive restrictions and a cap on the number of Charter Schools. That does not cut the mustard. 

Instead of impeding Charter Schools, the legislature and the Governor ought to be asking the successful ones, “What do you need to locate in New Hampshire and when do you need it?”  Then pass laws that will get them here.