Word: charterer
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Since the first charter school opened its doors in Minnesota in 1992, the movement has multiplied at a dizzying pace. Today half a million students attend more than 2,000 such schools in 35 states. And that number is sure to swell. With his voucher proposal all but dead on Capitol Hill, President George W. Bush is calling for $175 million to help launch new charter schools. The education bill approved by the House last week gives students in low-performing schools the option--and the bus fare--to transfer to charters; schools that fail three years...
Mesa Arts is a takes-a-village enterprise. But many of the city's charter schools are less lavish affairs that can fall prey to the strains that plague most start-ups. This was certainly true of Paramount Academy. Launched in 1997, the school was originally led by Marsh Dale Cline, a seasoned public school teacher. His son Dale R. Cline was a member of the board and also groomed the school grounds. After cycling through several board members and surviving one aborted takeover attempt, the senior Cline resigned last summer. His son, who freely admits "my background...
...count, and state funding was reduced by $400,000. With its credit cards maxed to the hilt, the school made cutbacks. The school is suffering from growing pains and will be on its feet this fall, according to Leo Condos, a Mesa attorney who represents Paramount and specializes in charter-school law. Says Condos: "Most of the people in the charter business have an educational dream, and they just don't always pursue it with the best business knowledge...
Arizona prides itself on not suffocating charter schools with red tape. Most states grant charters for five years; Arizona's span a full 15. Short of requiring that an applicant not have a rap sheet, there are no resume requirements for running a charter school. The state has closed down just four schools, none of them for academic reasons...
Arizona scrutinizes the annual financial audits of charter schools, but pays less heed to what goes on in the classroom. Paramount, for instance, has drawn no special attention for its schizophrenic test scores. In some areas close to 70% of students met or exceeded state standards last year; on the eighth-grade math exam, none did. In April, Kristen Jordison of the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools made a routine visit to Paramount Academy on a day when all but kindergarten classes were suspended for testing. On the basis of that visit, Jordison said the school "seemed...