Let’s Privatize Education, NYS

The New York State Board of Regents has proposed that they improve schools in the state by lifting the cap on charter schools.  They also suggest a serious effort to tie teacher pay to achievement. 

It’s not unfair to liken these proposals to a dance–a choreographed one set to the tune of the USDOE’s Race to the Top parameters.  Edweek notes,

The proposal seeks to lift the cap on the number of charter schools, now set at 200. State officials note New York could get the most “points” toward the competitive federal grants if the cap was doubled to 400 charter schools.

The proposal would revise state standardized tests so they more closely track student performance on national tests, and offer a uniform curriculum and tests in the arts, economics and multimedia computer technology.

The plan would link a teacher’s job evaluation to student performance under improved tests and as part of a variety of factors. It would also improve teacher training by colleges and mentors.

I get very nervous with the use of test scores as a weighty measure of educational effectiveness.  That having been said, I do think the work of charter schools deserves more credit than teaching unionists often give.  Though I have seen some eerily scripted charter schools, I’ve also seen some eerily scripted public school programs (“You will teach this mini-lesson to your level two blue readers at 11:25″).  At the same time, I find the idealists’ cry that schooling must be a public service hard to swallow when our classrooms look like so many of them do. 

Do I think we should privatize education? Not completely.  Do I think public schools can learn from private schools and charters?  Absolutely.