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Posted on Sat, Oct. 31, 2009 10:15 PM
In KC, charter schools are a favored choice
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Kansas City’s reliance on public charter schools has placed it fourth among U.S. cities in the percentage of students being taught in them.
This year the city has 29 percent of its public school children enrolled in charters operating inside the boundaries of the Kansas City School District. In 2008, it was 23 percent, a jump from the 15 percent of 2007.
The report on charter school populations is prepared by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a pro-charter group based in Washington, D.C.
Again this year, New Orleans leads the list with more than half of its public school children attending charters, followed by Washington, D.C., with 36 percent. St. Louis was sixth with 25 percent.
The University of Missouri-Kansas City opening this year of three new charter schools — bringing the total to 20 — may have something to do with the higher percentage. Three new charters were also opened in St. Louis.
State education officials said they were not sure why Kansas City parents seemed increasingly more attracted to the charters. With the exception of those at a few high-performing charters, students in the city’s charter schools are achieving the same academic levels as students of the Kansas City district.
“It could be there is just an overall dissatisfaction with the district or it could be parent perception related to safety that’s attracting families to charters,” said Jocelyn Strand, director of charter schools for Missouri.
Charter schools’ gains are the Kansas City district’s losses, said Andre Riley, district spokesman. “There are not an infinite number of students in Kansas City, so if the charter schools are growing, it’s safe to say that we are being negatively impacted.”
“We would like to see more of Kansas City’s students attending our schools, and we are continuing to improve ourselves to make ourselves more attractive.”
That is as it should be, said Cheri Shannon, executive director of the Missouri Public Charter School Association. “Competition often improves the quality.
“If we can raise everybody up, then everybody is getting better. We just want to see public schools improve overall.”
To reach Mará Rose Williams, call 816-234-4419 or send e-mail to mdwilliams@kcstar.com.
Posted on Sat, Oct. 31, 2009 10:15 PM
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