The pattern of traditional public schools losing students to charter schools appears in Kansas City, too.
There are many good articles about charter successes out there. For now, I’d like to point to this one about charter schools in Oakland, California. The profiled schools insist on maintaining long hours, piling on math and reading homework, and imposing strict discipline in their classrooms. They’ve gotten great results with disadvantaged students, including some who are learning English for the first time. Several of the best charters around the country have taken a similar approach.
Charters’ policies may appear harsh to critics, but parents have noticed that they’re effective. In places like Kansas City and St. Louis, more and more families are voting with their feet.
