An “unresponsive” public school district led to a strong charter school sector in Washington, D.C., according to Kaya Henderson, chancellor of D.C. Public Schools.
“Part of the reason why we have one of the most robust charter sectors in the country, and I think part of the reason why the charter sector here grew so quickly, is because for a long time the [D.C. Public Schools system] was just unresponsive,” Henderson said today at The Atlantic Education Summit. “Families were demanding more, better and the system wasn’t responding. And so alternatives were created.” Henderson pointed out that 44 percent of D.C. public school students attend charter schools, a percentage that has held steady for the past four years.
Henderson’s statement is in line with what pro-school choice education reformers have been saying for years: Competition makes all schools better, including traditional public schools. School choice holds public schools accountable for effectively educating students, since it empowers families to escape failing schools.
Most charter schools in Washington, D.C. are authorized under the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board, which certifies 112 public charter schools in the city. The first D.C. charter school opened in 1996.
Henderson also expressed a desire for D.C. Public Schools to have the same kind of flexibility that charter schools get. “My desire is to have more flexibility. You can’t say ‘Charters are doing so well because they don’t have to deal with X, Y, or Z,’ and then expect me to do well when I have to deal with X, Y, or Z. So all I’m saying is if we’ve learned that there are certain flexibilities that enable schools to succeed, then we should give the traditional school system those flexibilities as well.”
Henderson also said that the District is working hard to close achievement gaps, but emphasized that all student groups are improving. “All of our young people are actually seeing success,” she said. “All of our young people are improving, it’s just that the top is moving faster than the bottom.”
Charter schools are publicly funded and do not charge tuition. Compared to traditional public schools, charter schools have more independence in their operations and curricula, which is why so many families find charter schools desirable.
Henderson has been chancellor of D.C. Public Schools since 2010.
