Governor Strickland Calls Ohio Charter Schools "Shameful" and "Harmful"

Governor Ted Strickland defended Attorney General Marc Dann suing public charter schools in a recent New York Times article. He applauded Dann on his "crackdown", calling Ohio's charter schools "shameful" and "harmful to Ohio students".

We need to STAND UP for our public charter schools. Let your voice be heard! Write Governor Ted Strickland and let him know how disappointed you are with his comments. Be sure to send your letter to your local newspaper and to us at info@ohioeschoolfamilies.org.

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November 8, 2007
New York Times
Ohio Goes After Charter Schools That Are Failing
By SAM DILLON

COLUMBUS, Ohio - 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, elected when Democrats won five of Ohio's six top posts last November, are cracking down on the schools, which receive public money but are run by independent operators. And across the country, charter school advocates are watching nervously, fearful the backlash could spread.

Attorney General Marc Dann is suing to close three failing charter schools and says he is investigating dozens of others. It is the first effort by any attorney general to close low-performing charter schools.

Gov. Ted Strickland said he wanted to carry out his own crackdown.

"Perhaps somewhere, charter schools have been implemented in a defensible manner, where they have provided quality," he said. "But the way they've been implemented in Ohio has been shameful. I think charter schools have been harmful, very harmful, to Ohio students."

To read the full article click the following link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/us/08charter.html?_r=2&ref=education&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

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