The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) recently release a report, The Paperwork Pileup, that analyzed the various questions and documentation required of public charter schools seeking authorization by state education agencies, higher education institutions, and independent charter boards. The report authors categorized the application questions into four quadrants according to the (in)appropriateness and (un)manageability of the requirement in terms of how the questions could impact school effectiveness. In short, AEI concludes that, “By larding up charter applications and branding those who do not want to or cannot jump through those hoops as not serious or qualified enough to run schools, we risk unjustly narrowing the pool of charter operators and shutting out innovation.”
Common sense says that paperwork for paperwork’s sake is unnecessary, but due diligence to ensure quality is necessary. Yet, the debate opens from there. The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) and Thomas B. Fordham Institute both issued rebuttals to assertions made in the AEI report. So where do you fall on the authorizing debate? Are regulations overtaking autonomy, or are they necessary gatekeepers to ensure quality school openings? Thanks to AEI for elevating this important conversation, and to NACSA and Fordham for weighing in. Please leave a comment to tell us your thoughts on charter school application requirements. Nora Kern is senior manager of research at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Menu
