Ohio became a test tube for the nation’s charter school movement during a decade of Republican rule here, when a wide-open authorization system and plenty of government seed money led to the schools’ explosive proliferation. But their record has been spotty. This year, the state’s school report card gave more than half of Ohio’s 328 charter schools a D or an F. Now its Democratic governor and attorney general are cracking down on the schools. And across the nation, charter school advocates are watching nervously.
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EARLIER: Calling the performance of many of Ohio's 310 charter schools "pathetic" and "indefensible" and arguing that vouchers undermine public education for the benefit of the few, Gov. Ted Strickland wants a moratorium on new charters and an end to Ohio's 2-year-old voucher program. Those recommendations amount to a declaration of war against those who argue that many public schools are fatally flawed and that the only way to prevent children from failing with them is to allow them to go elsewhere. (Chicago Tribune)
