Charter Schools: Structural Exclusion and Discrimination?
The promise and successes of public charter schools have been increasingly lauded. One of the main measures of success are high test scores (they’re actually very comparable to traditional public schools, natch). But have you considered how the charter school model can unjustly doctor enrollment to control their student population (and exclude certain students that would negatively impact test scores)? They, wittingly or unwittingly, do so through structural decisions that include: chosen niche (who they dedicate to serve), location, marketing (i.e. race portrayed in promotional materials and the language the material is offered in), illegal document requirements, specific admissions preferences, not providing services or resources for English learners or students with disabilities, conditions for application, and harsh discipline policies. Students with disabilities, English learners, students of color, and students in poverty face a number of barriers when seeking to enroll in charter schools. Kevin Welner breaks it down in "The Dirty Dozen: How Charter Schools Influence Student Enrollment" (read here).