Of Ohio's 68 charter schools, only one is outside the 21 largest urban districts. Some are stimulating change in a positive way. They appreciate what they view as license to dream. Others look it as a punishment. Steve Ramsey, head of the newly formed Ohio Charter School Association, based in Columbus, also thinks the reaction was inevitable.
Competition is a factor.
They're choosing to compete for enrollment. Dayton entered the game almost as soon as the state legislature began allowing the charter schools to open. The Dayton Board of Education converted Residence Park Elementary, the school with the lowest proficiency-test passing rates in the district, to the new school in 1999. Principal Richard Penry had a tough time persuading the school board at first. He and a group of business leaders wanted to establish a school that would combine all the best teaching methods they could find.