Fallin Approves Statewide Charter Schools Measure

Jay Chilton

Jay Chilton
MiddleGround News

School districts gain the freedom to commission charter schools throughout the state following Governor Fallin’s signing of a bill hailed by supporters as a critical step forward in school choice for Oklahoma.

Prior to the measure, charter schools were only permitted in Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties, the most heavily populated counties in the state. Bill co-author Rep. Lee Denney said the expansion of charter school opportunities was a natural progression following the success exhibited in public charter schools since they first gained approval in 1999.

“They (charter schools) were a big change, many people were skeptical,” Denney, R-Cushing, said. “So the schools were started in the inner city and gained broad-based support. Now everyone will have the opportunity.”

Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, echoed Denney’s thoughts.

“This bill will give the parents of Oklahoma school children more opportunities to create schools that meet the needs of their students through innovative approaches and curriculum,” he said. “Giving parents outside of Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties this same right is a key reform that is monumental.”

Innovative approaches are a key benefit to the charter school model, according to Denney, allowing the school to tailor its instruction to the best learning format and needs of the student.

“They can meet on Saturday. They can meet after school,” she said. “The schools will have accredited teachers, and a fully certified faculty. Charter schools enjoy tremendous flexibility.”

Denney also added that the charter schools would have greater accountability than traditional public schools. She believes the success realized in public charter schools in Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties will be mirrored across the state.

“This bill ensures oversight and accountability requirements must be met,” Denny said. “With charter schools, if the school underperforms and does not improve, it can be shut down. I call that real accountability. They say they’ll close an underperforming traditional school, but that almost never happens. The most you get is usually a plan for remediation but that rarely does anything.”

Ryan Owens of the Cooperative Council of School Administrators described his support of the collaborative way the bill was drafted.

“We are pleased that education groups were allowed to help fashion Senate Bill 782 so that this charter school law respects the authority of local school boards to experiment with different educational delivery systems to best serve Oklahoma students and parents,” he said.

However, not all parties were happy with the new measure. Loud and repeated boos were aimed a Rep. Denney when she said she wanted to expand charter schools throughout the state when she spoke to the gathered teachers, parents, activists and students during the OKED Rally on the south steps of the Oklahoma Capitol on March 30.

Rep. Scott Inman, D-Del City said it makes no sense to allow rural school districts permission to open charter schools.

“That’s like saying you want to open a new grocery store in a town of 150 people. At the end of the day, there are not enough people there to support it,” he said.

Oklahoma Education Association president Linda Hampton said the charter school option will do nothing to improve education in Oklahoma.

“Our schools are underfunded, class sizes are growing out of control, and we have teacher shortages across the state,” a written statement read.

But when asked why it would be detrimental to open charter schools to relieve some of the school and class overcrowding, OEA spokesman Doug Folks was evasive.

The point of (Hampton’s) quote is that schools are underfunded already and opening more schools would make even more expense, further stretching the budget, he said.

Not necessarily so, claims Rep. Jason Nelson R-Oklahoma City.

“One thing that makes charter schools such a good option is their flexibility,” he said. “A charter school can meet in an empty store or an unused building owned by the district. It (the charter school) could even meet in the same building as the traditional school. The school would be chartered by the district so there would be no reason why a charter couldn’t share staff with the traditional school.”

“In fact,” he said, “that is the situation already at the KIPP Reach College Preparatory charter school ― which earned the U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School award in 2012 ― in Oklahoma City. The charter school meets in the same building with F.D. Moon Academy, sharing expenses and staff. It’s a good deal for both schools.”

Nelson continued to describe the value of the added flexibility, particularly for rural communities.

“You could have animal science or ag(riculture) science. Some will be college prep. More options are better than fewer,” he said. “Charter schools give the option to tailor instruction to the needs and wishes of the students and parents. Rural families would like to have that option.”

National organizations supportive of charter schools and the school choice movement praised the work of the legislators and governor.

“Oklahoma continues to move forward by empowering parents to choose the best educational environment for their children,” Betsy DeVos, chairman of the American Federation for Children, said. “Expanding charter schools statewide is another step in providing Oklahoma families greater educational choice and Oklahoma’s children greater educational opportunity.”

Nina Rees, president and CEO of National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, who ranked Oklahoma as having one of the weakest public charter laws in the country prior to the signing of the bill, said she expects Oklahoma to rise significantly in their rankings and that with the law, charter schools will become the most accountable form of public schooling in the state.