Charter Schools A Good Choice For Minnesota

Thursday, April 01, 2004—Worthington Daily Globe website

By Joe Nathan, Guest columnist

MINNEAPOLIS — What brings together some people in Worthington, civil rights legend Rosa Parks, the late U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, former President Bill Clinton and both the former and current presidents named George Bush? The charter public school movement. Fortunately, beginning this fall, several Worthington area residents are opening a new, small, public K-8 school option for families via the charter movement.

As he addressed a joint session of the Minnesota session of the Minnesota legislature, the late U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone referred to charter schools as "that marvelous Minnesota innovation that is spreading throughout the country." Wellstone was right.

Minnesota passed the nation's first charter law in 1991. In 1992, the first charter opened in St. Paul. Since then, 41 states have adopted charter laws, and more than 3000 charter schools serve students. Among many others, Rosa Parks, one of the founders of the southern Civil Rights movement, has tried to start a charter school. The three most recent U.S. Presidents — former President George H.W. Bush, former President Bill Clinton, and current President George W. Bush, strongly support charter schools.

The charter idea builds on three of the most fundamental ideas in America:

• People should have a chance to carry out their best ideas
• This is a country of responsibilities, as well as rights
• We offer freedom within some limits.

Like other charters around the country, the Worthington area charter will be a free, public school, open to all kinds of students. Paul Neufeld Weaver is coordinating an effort to create this small, K-8 school. It will promote strong academic skills, and strong language skills in English and Spanish. (For information, call 507 376-6782)

Greater Minnesota communities such as Mankato, Rochester, Henderson, Emily, Nerstrand and LaCrescent offer a variety of charters. In fact, the Minnesota New Country Charter in Henderson has received national attention. It operates as a teacher-run cooperative. (For information about Minnesota charters, see the Charter School Profile section on the home page of our website: www.centerforschoolchange.org)

In ways similar to what happened in the civil rights movement, some district or union officials have tried to intimidate educators or parents who are helping create charter schools.

But since 1985, the Minnesota legislature has insisted time after time, that it allocates money for the education of young people, not for the preservation of a particular school system. The Legislature has noted many benefits from offering options like post-secondary options, open enrollment and the charter idea.

Competition via post-secondary options helped dramatically increase the number of advanced courses offered in Minnesota's high schools. Several studies concluded that charter schools has helped stimulate improvements in school districts throughout Minnesota, and around the country.

Worthington families will have a new educational option this fall. That's good news for area families, and for the broader community.

Joe Nathan, a former public school teacher, directs the Center for School Change at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs in Minneapolis.