In 1998, when Washington, D.C.’s first charter schools opened, it would have been hard to believe that within two decades the number of students in charters would increase tenfold, or that half of the city’s students would ever be learning at the right pace.
That’s the reality today. Nearly 45 percent of Washington’s public school students are in charters. And more than half of charter school students are proficient in math and reading, according to city tests, and just under half of the students in traditional public schools are.
As charter schools have grown and improved, the city’s traditional public schools — downsized over the years and honed for better performance — have improved too. Incredibly, proficiency in both charters and traditional schools is up 20 percentage points in a decade. There’s still much improvement to be made, but the progress that has occurred already should be praised.
“Public charter schools in Washington, D.C., are some of the best in the country,” Scott Pearson, Executive Director of the D.C. Public Charter School Board, told the Washington Examiner. “Students are performing better and schools are meeting higher standards.”
How are charters able to make such amazing educational progress? “Each public charter school is unique with its own leadership, culture, teaching philosophy and methods, allowing families to pick from dozens of unique charter schools that are just right for their child,” Pearson said.
Charter schools are publicly funded and do not charge tuition. Compared to traditional public schools, charters have more independence and flexibility in their operations and curricula, which is why so many families find charters desirable. Washington has a Chinese language immersion charter school, Classical education charter school, European model schools, Montessori method charter schools and basically every other education approach you can imagine. They are open to all students, but they often don’t have enough space to meet demand. So they use a lottery system to determine admission. The D.C. Public Charter School Board will close down any charters it deems to be low-performing.
“D.C. public charter schools are fortunate to have some of the finest teachers and educational leaders in the country because they are free from many regulations and red tape, they are able to focus their energies and resources on student learning,” Pearson said.
Many school choice advocates say competition from charters and private schools help jolt traditional public schools into improving. That may be the case in Washington, Pearson says, but everyone still collaborates amid the competition. “Our children benefit when both DCPS and charters are strong and provide quality education,” he said. “School leaders from both sectors often work together to improve their practices and to learn from each other.”
Still, it’s clear that, at least on average, Washington’s public schools are being outdone by charters. Charters’ 74 percent graduation rate beats the 64 percent rate for traditional schools. The gap widens slightly in favor of charters for low-income students and black students, and also when the comparison is made only between charters and geographically comparable public schools (those outside of wealthy and predominantly white Ward Three, where there are no charters).
Overall proficiency is higher in charters for every demographic group. For black students and low-income students, the gap is 14 percentage points.
But thankfully, collaboration and competitive pressure has made both sectors in Washington better. Although charters are better on average, there are still some students who are better served by their neighborhood schools (typically in wealthier areas). That’s why it’s so important that charter schools are open to all city residents, all of whom have more than 100 public charter schools to choose from. After all, who knows what’s best for a student better than the parents or guardians in their lives?
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
