Hearst Connecticut Media Editorial Board: Tread carefully on charter school bills
The editorial board notes that charters are enjoying a revival of interest in Connecticut, due to a new proposal that would create an opportunity for more charters to open. The editorial board recaps the usual arguments, including charter supporters bringing up race.
As typically happens, charter proponents have raised the issue of race. Since charters are nearly always in cities, opponents are cast as trying to deny funding for poor Black and brown children. This is wildly misleading, since opponents of charters are the ones calling out the loudest for legitimately equal funding across urban and suburban school districts.
And that leads to an insight that deserves to stand on its own in this editorial, a point that is too rarely made.
The truth is, were such funding equity in place and city schools funded at adequate levels, there would be no demand for charters. Similarly, in a truly integrated school system where urban and suburban kids shared a classroom, the argument for charters would disappear.