Almost 26 years ago, a new kind of high school opened its doors to 53 students in St. Paul, Minn.
The City Academy was publicly funded but independently operated, allowing its founders the freedom to innovate in reaching students who were failing in traditional public schools.
The nation’s first public charter school remains open, serving 116 students. And from that tiny seed, the charter school movement has grown to about 7,000 schools educating more than 3 million students across the country.
By almost any measure of student achievement, from test scores on state and federal assessments, to graduation rates to future success in college, charters are on average outperforming traditional public schools — sometimes by wide margins.
This benefit is most pronounced for the students who have the greatest need — low-income and minority students struggling to close the achievement gap and secure a meaningful future. Charters have redefined expectations for these children.
One reason charter schools succeed is because the freedom they have to innovate has made them the laboratories of change in our public school system. They have developed new learning models, new approaches to teacher development, and new strategies for incorporating technology in the classroom.
Charter schools have also helped redefine what K-12 education looks like. There are charters that specialize in STEM education, in the arts, and in technical fields. These charters are responding to the needs of students as well as local workforce demand.
In Florida, for example, the Latin Builders Association has partnered with Miami Dade Public Schools to open the Latin Builders Association Construction and Business Management Academy Charter High School. Students graduate prepared for college or meaningful employment in the construction industry.
Another reason charter schools succeed is because they are held accountable. In 2015, 272 charter schools closed, most because of low enrollment, poor academic performance, or financial concerns. When is the last time you heard of a traditional public school closing when it failed its students?
And as time goes on and the charter sector matures, results are improving.
All of this is why many of our nation’s urban mayors, who deal first-hand with the consequences of failing education systems, have long supported public charter schools.
That support has been borne out by research conducted by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford, which shows significant academic gains for urban students attending public charter schools compared to those attending traditional public schools. At the Success Academies charter schools in New York, children from the poorest households earn test scores comparable to those from the most affluent.
Last week, families across the nation celebrated National Charter Schools Week. Yes, there is much to celebrate. But the work to ensure each and every child receives a quality education is far from done. We must renew our commitment to grow educational opportunity for all students.
Many charter schools have long waiting lists, requiring lottery drawings for admission. Demand is far outstripping supply, in large part because of political roadblocks that prevent charter schools from expanding. Several states still don’t have laws authorizing charter schools. Other states, like my home state of Virginia, make it so difficult to open a charter school that only a handful are open today.
The parents who are enrolling their children in charters are doing so because they see it as the best option to ensure their future success. They may view their charter as better academically or safer than the traditional public school they are assigned. Or it might be that they see their son or daughter thrive when they are immersed in a STEM, arts, or trade curriculum that only a charter school provides.
Whatever the reason, doesn’t every parent deserve the opportunity to choose the school that will help their child succeed?
It is time to focus on the facts and proven results, time to stop judging schools by labels or providers, and time do what is right for our students: expand opportunity for all.
Eric Cantor is vice chairman and managing director of Moelis & Company, an ExcelinEd board member, and formerly U.S. representative for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District and House majority leader.
