The Washington Post reports that charter schools in the nation’s capital are being treated poorly despite their popularity and track recored of student achievement:
While the District pours billions into rebuilding a city system that has more classroom space than it needs, parents are increasingly opting for charter schools. If trends continue, charter enrollment will surpass the traditional public school population before the end of the decade.
Yet even as charters soar in popularity, D.C. officials have often relegated these schools to second-class status, maintaining funding policies and practices that bypass charters and steer extra money to the traditional city school system.
Highlights:
- Of Washington’s 76,753 students, 31,562 (or 41 percent) are enrolled in charter schools.
- Charter schools posted higher scores on the District’s Comprehensive Assessment System.
- Furthermore, the four-year high school graduation rate is 80 percent for charter schools compared to 60 percent for the District’s public school system.
