Got my eye on you, man!

Two new charters won't be enough

This article by Sara Burrows in today's Carolina Journal Online shows that pro-charter Republicans in the Senate are finally getting wise to the dangers of an anti-charter State Board of Education.

Charter School Backers Worry About Gov's Picks to Council
http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=8110

Readers will recall that Senate Bill 8 called on the state board to establish a charter school advisory council to do the board's dirty work of developing new charter school policies, recommending new standards for applications, revocations, renewals, and so forth.  Without any independent powers of its own the council will be advisory in nature only. 

Still, charter advocates had hoped to have enough pro-charter members on the council to keep the proceedings honest.  But the plan of organization approved by the board last week only requires that two of the sixteen council members have experience with charters.  The governor will appoint a majority of the members, and we can expect that all of her appointments will reflect her negative views on charter schools.   

Clearly the plan is to use a stacked council to stiffle the growth of charters.  But it may not be that easy.  Check out Senator Richard Steven's reaction:

“We expect to see some new charters,” Stevens said. “So if we get 50 quality applications and [the council] approves two, we’ll be back talking to them in [next year’s] short session.”

“We believe in good faith they will honor the new law and allow the cap fully to be lifted,” Stevens said. “Sometimes there’s a big difference between a law being passed and how the administrators deal with it.”

It's good to know someone is watching with a critical eye.