LANSING, MI (MPRN)-- The state superintendent of public instruction says he’s ready to get tougher with charter school authorizers when their schools don’t measure up. If he follows through, that could mean fewer charter schools in the future.
Superintendent Mike Flanagan released a statement saying he’s ready to exercise his authority to cut off permission for universities, community colleges, and school boards to authorize more charters.
“We are getting serious about quality choices for Michigan students,” said Flanagan. “This is not just about getting academic results. It is about total transparency and accountability.”
He says the state Department of Education will develop standards to ensure charters don’t fall behind academically, and are more open about how they spend taxpayers’ money. Flanagan says his decision is based on a series published by The Detroit Free Press that outlined problems with charters in Michigan.
“We are getting serious about quality choices for Michigan students,” said Flanagan. “This is not just about getting academic results. It is about total transparency and accountability.”
A leader of the organization that represents charter authorizers says this shows Michigan can ensure charters are accountable for student performance and how they spend public money.
“It’s proving the point that we have the right charter oversight laws in place,” said Dan Quissenberry, president of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies.
“We support the state superintendent’s ability to suspend any authorizer that isn’t acting in the best interest of students. He has had this authority for a number of years. This statutory responsibility is part of Michigan’s strong system of charter school oversight, so it’s ironic that this announcement comes following a week of stories about how weak our state oversight is.”
Gov. Rick Snyder has said he does not support new accountability measures aimed specifically at charter schools, their authorizers, or the management companies that run them.