My principal disagreement with President Bush s education plan is that the vouchers he offers are not likely to help strengthen our public schools. Some make the same argument against charter schools. But charter schools are public schools. They are not an educational exception to shun but an opportunity to embrace. A school full of talented faculty, skilled supervisors and dedicated staff should not be doomed to failure because they cannot afford to rent, lease or renovate a building in which to teach.
Charter schools deserve the same opportunities public schools have to fund new facilities.
A building is only as strong as its foundation. Currently our nation asks charter schools to support our children while carrying unassisted the heavy burden of start-up costs. Before a charter school opens, its foundation often is already groaning from the weight of debt. Currently, true public school choice is not an option for much of our nation. Seven out of every ten charter schools has a waiting list for students it cannot possibly accommodate.