Theme Overview

The issue of public education sounds simple enough: We need to give children a quality education so they can do well in whatever they choose to do in life. The reality couldn’t be more complicated, however. Everyone wants children to succeed, and most Americans would agree that our educational system could be improved, especially given the relatively poor performance of our schools compared to schools in other developed nations. However, none of those involved—parents, teachers, school administrators, or others—can seem to agree on what makes for a quality education. Furthermore, anything related to the public education system is inherently also a political issue, for both symbolic and practical reasons. At the symbolic level, the public education system we have in America is tied to our sense of who we are as a democratic nation and to our sense of our future. At the practical level, local school board members are often elected, and state and federal educational policymakers often face intense lobbying from both sides of the political spectrum. Therefore, any attempt to change public education is hotly debated, with all involved perceiving themselves as experts. The issues debated include what works and what doesn’t work, how we measure success, and how we ought to be preparing young people for the future.

This chapter enters into the debate on public education by focusing on one issue, namely, charter schools. Charter schools have been created in an attempt to give families better choices when their public education system does not perform well. How effective are charter schools in providing a better education for their students? What is the wider impact of the charter school movement on the public education system? As you read the essays in this chapter, consider charter schools’ implications for the debate on the public educational system: Think about what the problems with the educational system really are, what possible solutions there might be, and what consequences—intended and unintended—those solutions might have.