Although the abysmal results on recent Massachusetts teacher tests, as well as repeated poor performance by American students in international comparisons, have made the existence of severe problems in American public education hard to deny, there remains significant denial in the public education sector of the very existence of an educational crisis. Proponents of public education are hopeful that the crisis in public education will redound to their benefit, calling for more public support for public education. The National Education Association , the predominant teacher union, makes this case. The Pioneer Institute , a Massachusetts public-policy foundation, is holding a discussion on this issue that you can join. Charter Schools are public schools that are given special powers by the state to innovate.
Charter schools are the equivalent of perestroika , of socialized education to reform itself.
President Clinton called for three thousand charter schools in the US, and currently about 170,000 students are enrolled in them. There are twenty-four charter schools operating in Massachusetts, according to the state Department of Education , and the state gave permission to open twelve more in February. Although charter schools are the least radical reform alternative, public school authorities often oppose them. Most professional educators are open but cautious about the change represented by charter schools, but charter school advocates are triumphant. The Pioneer Institute maintains a Charter School Resource Center for Massachusetts.