Jun 2, 2013 2 min read

Clarifications need to be made in response to the misleading and oversimplified statements in the Observer-Reporter’s May 21 editorial, “Wanting public money, but not the accountability.”

Relative to the receipt of tax dollars, yes, charter schools are public schools and are funded by tax dollars. But you fail to recognize that charter schools are operating on significantly less than traditional schools. On average in Pennsylvania, charters receive 70 percent of the per student cost paid by the taxpayer. The district retains the rest. In Pittsburgh, the district retains 48 percent. Statewide, charters represent 6.5 percent of the students in K-12 public education and 3.8 percent of the taxpayer dollars spent. They are the best taxpayer value in public education.

Relative to accountability, the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools has been a strong advocate for Right to Know language in legislation. Accountability is part of our core mission and transparency is critical to achieving accountability. If there are any compliance issues with any charter schools, we will work with the Office of Open Records to get them resolved.

Relative to Average Yearly Progress, no serious educator looks at any single measurement to determine the effectiveness or success of any school. But if you want to use AYP, at least use it correctly and in context. First, traditional schools and charter schools are judged differently. Charter results are reported as individual schools while districts are reported on grade spans. That means that a charter school with 11,000 students is evaluated by the same standard as an individual traditional school which may have only 200 students, while a district, which may have fewer than 1,000 students, can make AYP if any one of three grade spans (3-5, 6-8 or 9-12) makes AYP. Second, charter schools are educating children from some of the most challenging situations in the state and to judge them on a statewide average which includes all of the most affluent districts is misleading. When you make a more accurate comparison in the urban areas, 12 percent of the traditional schools in Pittsburgh made AYP and 44 percent of the charters. In Philadelphia, the numbers are 13 and 27 percent, respectively. If you were to look at data provided by the Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System, which assesses value added over time to the students’ understanding, charter schools demonstrate stellar results.

Bob Fayfich

King of Prussia

Fayfich is the executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools.