A New Approach to Holding Charter Schools Accountable

This month, the State University of New York, one of the nation's strongest charter school authorizers, gave my organization, Democracy Prep Public Schools, final approval to restructure an existing charter school that was going to be closed for poor performance. It's a groundbreaking new approach to holding charter schools rigorously accountable for their students' academic performance and growth. The trade of autonomy for accountability, which is the hallmark of public charter schools, only works if low-performing schools are held responsible. What makes this decision so innovative is that it will allow this school to become a proof-point for what is possible in education reform without the usual disruption of a traditional school closure, in which parents are often forced to enroll their children in other under-performing schools in their neighborhoods. What's more, the initiative has the potential to turn on their ear the commonly held beliefs about what makes schools great.

On paper, Harlem Day Charter School should be a resounding success. With a mix of public dollars and private philanthropy, it spends more per pupil -- about $20,000 -- than most suburban schools. Class size is small -- with fewer than 20 students in a typical class. Teachers and families are generally happy, according to recent surveys, and the school facility is safe, clean and bright.

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