Immigrant Students Shunned by NY Charter Schools, Too

NYSUT's Broken Promises: How the Charter School Experiment is Falling Short claims that 86.4% of New York's charter schools underperform against district counterparts.

Needless to say, the Albany-based school choice lobby is crying foul. They are incensed at both the timing of the release as well as the methodology used in the union's reports.

The truth is that both school groups have mixed records: A handful of exceptional urban schools and a majority that are average to poor.

Regardless of the current scuffle between the two rivals, what is not in dispute is the huge under-representation of English Language Learners/immigrant students in charter schools. It's also documented that special education students are also under-enrolled. And Broken Promises alleges that charters even under enroll the very poor.

But the ELL situation in charters is the most alarming. Only 2% of charter students are ELLs, while the district ELL enrollment is 12% and growing. The data is from New York State Education Department's recent Annual Report on the Status of Charter Schools.

In a review of the statewide New York Charter School Association website, it appears that none of their many documents even acknowledges the problem. However, New York City's Center for Charter School Excellence not only acknowledges that there's a problem, but has vowed to help its schools make the necessary corrections. (See page 10 of the Center's 2005 Annual Report.)

So New York, Mecca for immigrants allows new themed high schools and charter schools across the state to shun ELL immigrants. And charters under-enroll the very poor and those with special needs.

Wasn't the reason for these schools to ensure that ALL students had access to quality schools?Also, could it be that the way New York implements these "promising" educational reforms are actually contributing to widening the gap between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots'?

Posted by USTaino at 12:46 AM