FOR BETTER AND SAFER SCHOOLS
THE goal of any school system should be to deliver students high-quality education, in a safe environment, at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers. Charter schools in New York City and across America have proven they can meet — even exceed — these goals, despite a host of challenges other public schools don’t have to face. It’s time elected officials stopped trying to block this crucial option.
Charter schools, public institutions with the freedom to operate independently of the district system, have famously done more with less, generally receiving a fraction of per-pupil funding compared with their district counterparts. Often, they must also go through rigorous approval processes, find buildings to host their schools and — most important — compete with district schools to attract and retain students.
In major cities, charter schools receive nearly $8,000 less than district schools on average — a 33% funding gap. In New York, public schools pocket roughly $32,000 per pupil, far more than the $17,000 charters get. Yet in the Big Apple, almost 50,000 children sit on waitlists for charters because political leaders lack the will to lift the cap and allow true competition in education.
Instead, teachers unions and other hostile gatekeepers have been allowed to flex their muscles and box out competition by pressuring lawmakers and authorizers to oppose the growth of non-district school options and fighting to maintain a cap on the total number of charter schools allowed in New York City.
It’s disappointing, but not surprising, the education establishment wants to block competition instead of improving in response. Despite many obstacles, charter schools deliver for families and taxpayers by being creative and innovative in their approach.
A Stanford University study found charter schools in urban areas positively affect student achievement, particularly for low-income and minority students. Indeed, charter schools are often located in areas with struggling traditional public schools and provide parents a viable alternative.
New York State Education Department Public School Assessment data show that 62% of charter students in grades 3-8 are proficient in math, compared with only 46% of district students. For black and Hispanic students, who make up 90% of New York City’s charter population, those proficiency gaps are even wider: 64% of black and 60% of Hispanic charter students are proficient in math, vs. 28% and 33% of district students, respectively.
It’s not just academic outcomes that improve. Charters offer significant schoolsafety benefits over district schools as well.
Eight out of nine studies analyzing charters show increased levels of perceived safety by parents, students and principals. That’s useful news for New York
City, where three students have tragically been killed outside school this academic year.
Indeed, the American Federation for Children’s Corey DeAngelis has found New York City charter schools report “fewer assaults with physical injuries, assaults with serious physical injuries, forcible sex offenses, other sex offenses, weapons possessions resulting from routine security checks, other weapons possessions, and false alarms than district-run public schools.”
While DeAngelis’ evidence shows city charters offer safer spaces for students, charters and other school-choice options also contribute to safety by giving students a place to physically move if their assigned district school turns dangerous. That’s not to say instances of school violence or bullying are purely a district-school problem. But a vibrant system that includes charter- and alternativeschool options helps ensure no student is stuck in an unsafe environment.
Parents find that flexibility to choose a safe and opportunity-rich environment, with academic gains, desirable. It’s no surprise national polling shows 77% of likely voters support charter options.
But such mobility is hindered when thousands of families remain on waitlists to their preferred school while city charter options remain capped.
New York City leadership would be wise to consider these points as the charter conversation continues. It’s frustrating that Mayor Adams balked at the chance to forcefully support charters in Albany last week — despite Gov. Hochul’s proposal to abolish the cap on city charter schools. Given the plethora of evidence that charter schools benefit students and parents, even despite unique obstacles, the mayor and other officials should focus on providing more options for families, not capping them.