Charter Schools’ Success Makes Them a Political Target

An educational innovation that once had bipartisan support faces adversity in Washington and the courts.

By Jason Riley. Excerpts:

"A recent news article in the New York Times about the growing popularity of charter schools in New York City was remarkable for its balance. The story stated matter-of-factly that the “vast majority of students in charters are Black or Latino” and that charters “receive less per-pupil funding than district schools” but nevertheless “typically outperform district schools in math and reading on state standardized tests.” The cap on the number of charter schools allowed to open in New York was reached three years ago, but Democrats oppose lifting it. So do the teachers unions, which “are major political players and disapprove of the schools, which tend not to be unionized.”"

"after their inception in the early 1990s charter schools enjoyed bipartisan support that spanned four presidential administrations."

"Barack Obama praised them for giving “educators the freedom to cultivate new teaching models and develop creative methods to meet students’ needs.”"

"Under Joe Biden, however, this trend has been broken. The president has called for banning some types of charter schools outright, increasing regulations for others, and giving school boards dominated by union allies more power to block their expansion."