By Jeremiah Grace
Connecticut taxpayers invest in a number of public services that make our lives better — police and fire departments for our communities, public parks, roads, and mass transit, and the single most important investment: public education. Charter schools are a member of that public school system, and this year, state lawmakers changed the law to make them even better for taxpayers, communities, and importantly, the families who need them.
They did this by allowing modest but vital growth at existing charters while also strengthening accountability laws. Legislators listened to school leaders, families, and even national and local experts to make smart changes. What resulted is a better system of accountability for charter school academic and financial performance, and new mechanisms for transparency.
And despite claims from the foes, this is an improvement to an already strong system. Charter schools are already the most accountable public schools there are. They are the only public schools that are automatically closed [Read More]