Charters Leave Minorities Behind

The charter school movement in Idaho is often couched in terms of “choice” for families to choose a school that is best for the family and student. Terry Ryan, President of the Idaho Charter Network, wrote in a January “Voices” column that school choice aligns with the “freedom” that Idahoans desire. Yet, the “freedom” to choose charter schools appears not to be a choice, or at least an uphill battle, for minority students in Idaho. Data from public record requests delivered by the State Department of Education indicates that consistently across the state minority population students are largely left out of Idaho’s charter schools. Remember, charter schools are public schools; they are open to all of Idaho’s students regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, or disability. Yet, in instance after instance, charter schools’ student demographic makeups are outrageously imbalanced in comparison to the communities’ demographics that they operate in/ Lee Cavener , IDEDNews.org. More here.

Question: Should Idaho’s charter schools reflect the ethnic and special education demographic of the community?