Ohio Goes After Charter Schools That Are Failing

[Lone_Star_Dem]

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.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/us/08charter.html?ei=5088&en=0f635fd6e6d2646e&ex=1352178000&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1194524413-e7ydzyqe0AsT3dMhRw3ssw

[tanyev]

1. Good.

It's going to take decades to clean up the mess the GOP has made of this country.