The NAACP called for a moratorium on the rapid growth of charter schools last year and commissioned a task-force to hold hearings across seven cities to learn from various parents, teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders. Their just-released report from the task force relies heavily on anecdotes and the opinions of interested parties to paint a distorted picture of urban charter schools that contrasts with the large body of serious empirical research over the last several years.

We should learn from those with first-hand experience of charter schools. But anecdotes and individual experiences are necessarily limited and are often misleading when applied to such a politically charged issue. Some people say one thing, others say the exact opposite. Such testimony thus should be understood within the context of a careful consideration of the available evidence.