January 2018: School Administrator

The charter school movement, now a generation old, commands plenty of divided views among those leading public schools. Those views are fueled to a large extent by charter legislation in the state you work in.

With middle ground (on any public policy issue) distressingly elusive these days, I found it refreshing to encounter an even-handed perspective of the charter school impact in Zachary Oberfield’s 2017 book Are Charters Different? A political scientist at Haverford College, he helps us understand the differences in the instructional climate between traditional public schools and charters.

In his article “What (If Anything) Makes Charters Different?,” Oberfield discusses what his study in schools across Delaware learned comparatively about teacher autonomy, collaboration and satisfaction. In the end, he describes the promises of charters being half-fulfilled.

This issue’s charter coverage also includes stories about the obstacles journalists face in getting basic performance information from charter school operators and the elements of an effective partnership between a school district and charter schools.

As always, I am interested in readers’ feedback.