The Harmful Impact of School Choice Policies and Charter Schools on Public Schools and Students with Disabilities

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Last week, in what seems a poor attempt at gaining attention or support for her platform, a lobbyist for the defunding of public education attempted to engage the successful, hilarious, and brilliant Quinta Brunson. Jeanne Allen seemed to take issue with Brunson’s lack of support of charter schools in America, and accused her of being duplicitous, having attended charter schools exclusively for her entire education. Fortunately for petty readers like me — and unfortunately for Allen — Brunson was willing to set the record straight.

But this begs the question: Who even is Jeanne Allen, and what stake does she have in education? (And don’t let that blue checkmark fool you — she paid for it. Her following is nowhere near substantial enough to garner a free one.)

Screenshot of conversation between Allen and Brunson. Read the full exchange here.

The Center for Education Reform and School Choice

For some time, the Center for Education Reform (CER) and its CEO, Jeanne Allen, have been at the forefront of the school choice movement in the United States. Proponents of school choice argue that it gives families more options and improves educational outcomes. However, the truth is that charter schools often siphon resources away from public schools and exacerbate existing inequalities. Charter schools have been known to be very selective with the students they enroll, leaving public schools to deal with the most disadvantaged students who require more resources and support. In addition, the lack of regulation and oversight for charter schools has led to cases of fraud and mismanagement, which further harms students.

Studies have demonstrated that charter schools can worsen existing disparities and draw resources away from public schools. A study by the Network for Public Education found that charter schools cost school districts over $400 million in funding each year, resulting in reduced resources for public schools. The same study also found that charter schools enroll a smaller percentage of students with disabilities and English language learners, indicating that they often cherry-pick students.

Additionally, research has shown that charter schools lack the regulation and oversight necessary to ensure that they provide a quality education for students. A study by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) found that 46% of charter schools perform no better than public schools, and 37% perform worse. The lack of regulation and oversight has also led to cases of fraud and mismanagement, with multiple charter schools being closed due to financial mismanagement or poor academic performance.

Furthermore, research has shown that school choice policies limit options for students with disabilities. A report by the National Council on Disability found that students with disabilities are often excluded from charter schools and voucher programs, with many schools claiming that they lack the resources to provide appropriate accommodations. This leaves many students with disabilities without access to the resources they need to succeed in their education.

Money Talks

Jeanne Allen has been a vocal advocate for school choice policies, even going so far as to claim that traditional public schools are failing students. However, this argument ignores the fact that public schools are often underfunded and understaffed, and that the problems facing public schools are not due to a lack of effort or resources on the part of teachers and administrators.

It is also important to note that between the years of 2016–2019, Allen — who ended her poorly researched tweet, “Guess money talks” — made over $1 million from her organization. While teachers are making an average of ~$51,000 a year, according to data reported by the NEA, Allen is making anywhere from 4x to 6x as much as those whose jobs she’s attempting to lobby against.

The push for school choice policies and charter schools has had a harmful impact on public schools and students with disabilities. It is time to recognize the damage that these policies are causing and invest in public schools to ensure that all students have access to a quality education.

Every student is entitled to a free and appropriate education, but this current push for school choice aims to undermine that exact promise. The CER’s push for school choice policies and charter schools perpetuates the idea that education is a commodity that can be bought and sold rather than a fundamental right that should be provided to all children regardless of their background or socioeconomic status. This commodification of education only serves to deepen existing inequalities in the education system and create a two-tiered system, where only the privileged few can afford a quality education.

Conclusion

The current pandemic highlighted the many existing disparities in the education system and has made it clear that the push for school choice policies is not the solution. In fact, the pandemic has made it even more evident that public schools are a vital resource for many students, especially those with disabilities or from low-income families who may not have access to other educational options.

Rather than defunding public schools and pushing for charter schools and voucher programs, we need to invest in public schools and provide them with the resources they need to succeed. This includes investing in teacher training, improving infrastructure and facilities, and providing adequate funding for supplies and materials.

The push for school choice policies and charter schools by the CER and its CEO Jeanne Allen has had a harmful impact on public schools and students with disabilities. It is time to recognize the damage that these policies are causing and invest in public schools to ensure that all students have access to a quality education. We must prioritize the needs of our students and teachers over the interests of lobbyists and politicians.

---

2016 Form 990 from IRS website
2017 Form 990 from IRS website
2018 Form 990 from IRS website
2019 Form 990 from IRS website

Selected references:

1. Network for Public Education. (2017). Asleep at the Wheel: How the Federal Charter Schools Program Recklessly Takes Taxpayers and Students for a Ride. https://networkforpubliceducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/NPE-Charters-and-the-Federal-Charter-Schools-Program.pdf
2. Center for Research on Education Outcomes. (2015). National Charter School Study 2015. https://urbancharters.stanford.edu/download/2015-national-charter-school-study
3. National Council on Disability. (2018). Breaking the School-to-Prison Pipeline for Students with Disabilities. https://ncd.gov/publications/2018/breaking-school-prison-pipeline-students-disabilities