State board seeks crackdown on struggling charter schools
By Corey G. Johnson/Education Week
The State Board of Education is working on new rules that would clamp down on underperforming charter schools. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the state board would annually review charter schools for possible changes or closure if they are: • At least 5 years old or more • Have test scores in the bottom 10 percent of all schools statewide • Have test scores in the bottom 20 percent of schools with similar demographics. The rule changes come as a debate grows over making charter schools more accountable. They operate with more freedom than public schools, so as to encourage innovation and high performance. (more...)