Dismantling Public Education: A Look into Charter Schools
By Amber Benge

“You never count your money. When you're sittin' at the table, there'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done” -Kenny Rogers.

Brown vs. Board of Education was a landmark supreme court decision 67 years ago that marked an end to segregated schools. However, the ruling did not necessarily create inclusive environments for all students. A research article titled “The Politics of Education in the Post-Brown Era: Race, Markets, and the Struggle for Equitable Schooling” states that political developments have hindered the progress of desegregation over the last 67 years. The authors note that non-integration by defying the courts, school vouchers, home purchases to avoid specific populations, and the ruse of excellence has contributed to inequities since the Brown vs. Board ruling. 

The 2021 voucher bill in Missouri (SB 612) reallocated public school funds to people who wanted their children educated in home schools, charter schools or private schools. Missouri politicians regard these vouchers as ways that parents can have a choice. The government has no oversight over where voucher funds are spent and the law contains no provisions about the quality of education required. 

Missouri lawmakers’ conversations about vouchers are also riddled with talks of charter schools and how they offer parents a “say” over curriculum. As you read about charter schools, you have to decide if you are comfortable with your money and your child’s education in Missouri used for a charter school. So, let’s briefly dive into what charter schools are and why they should concern educational stakeholders in Missouri. 

First, for-profit charter schools are illegal in most states. However, a report by Forbes using a study from the Network of Public Education shows how non-profit charters have found loopholes. The loopholes allow nonprofit charter schools to make for-profit amounts of money. The study found ways the “non-profit” charters work around state legislation – through management corporations, “sweeping” contracts from those management corporations, limiting the enrollment of high-needs students, lucrative real estate deals, and extreme nepotism. It is essential to keep these workarounds in mind when looking at those who support school vouchers and advocate for charter schools. Some local and state politicians who back vouchers and charters have day jobs in construction, management, and real estate. 

The Missouri legislators supporting charter schools fail to mention that these schools fall in this weird legal area where they are considered a “public school” but are “free from some rules and regulations that apply to traditional public school districts.” They also fail to explain why we allow our tax money to go to such entities when MO is continuously ranked in the bottom in teacher pay and is currently 49th in educational funding. Additionally, the Missouri Legislature fails to discuss that charter schools are run by corporate boards. The boards are not appointed by parents and can consist of a wide range of members. Some members have no concern for educational outcomes but rather are only concerned with profitability. This means if a parent has a complaint, there’s no school board to address parent concerns.

The last thing to note is the failure rate of charter schools. Charter schools have a failure rate that ranges between 47-54%. Over one billion dollars in educational funds were lost due to charter schools because of fraud, mismanagement, poor enrollment, and school performance deficiencies. The failure of these schools has displaced 867,000+ students and mostly from more impoverished communities. In 2019, Sen. Doug Libla wrote:

“As of now, 27 of 65 authorized Missouri Charter Schools (41.5 percent) have closed their doors. Over $785 million dollars of taxpayer money has disappeared along with those schools. In comparison, there has been (1) Missouri public school closed by lack of performance, (5) due to financial issues, and (9) schools are “provisionally” accredited for a total of 15 schools out of 517 public school districts (3 percent) If our public schools achieved the same dismal record of success as charter schools, the outcry all across Missouri would be deafening; we would have closed 214 public schools. 41.5 percent failure rate is unacceptable to consider any expansion of statewide charter schools.”

So, you decide what children in Missouri deserve and how you want your tax money spent. Do you want it spent on non-profit charters with limited accountability or invested in public schools where vouchers are never needed, and management corporations are not in charge? Ask your state lawmakers what they support and why they support it and vote accordingly.

Amber Benge is MoEEP’s registered lobbyist and a member of our leadership team