The ACLU filed a lawsuit with U.S. Department of Education in Civil Rights, ACLU: Charter schools causing resegregation

ACLU: Charter schools causing resegregation

The ACLU argues charters are causing resegregation and discrimination against minorities.

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It's been complained about since I went to high school that Charter School of Wilmington has "skimmed" off the top of the best students leaving crumbs for the normal schools, and this seems like another piece of b.s. in a long line of trying to take the school down. They've already put a cap on the enrollment, now they want to try abolishing admission tests? I mean, they don't say it out loud exactly, but it's obvious when one of these "Oh, charters are HORRIBLE and ELITIST and RACIST!" articles that they mean CSW. Geez. The point of Charter was that it was a school set up for students that are advanced in science and math, not that it would be open to anyone who wanted to join. It just seems like a big case of sour grapes that Charter's model has worked, and worked well, while the regular public high schools in northern Delaware have languished, with a couple of exceptions.

Some of their complaints were ridiculous- "Oh no, you mean I as a parent actually MUST be involved with my child's education for them to go to a school where they won't get shot in a drive-by? Call up the ACLU because that's RACIST!"

I guess I might be a little sour grapes as well. I'm extremely nervous about what this might mean for magnet schools in the state if they manage to gut charter schools, because magnet schools are often lumped in with charters. I heard a little rumbling of a rumor that the school board was going to start putting pressure on Cab Calloway to make admissions lottery-based only and get rid of the auditions. Which has to be one of the most asinine ideas I've heard of- "Oh, hey, we've got a performing arts school- but as long as your name gets picked out of a hat it doesn't matter if you don't have any talent!" Cab has gotten harder to get into because of demand, from what I've heard, and I'm betting anything the board member who has allegedly been floating that idea is some parent who got pissed off their kid didn't get in.

I'm generally a fan of charter schools, because they cut through the red tape and bureaucratic overbloating that tends to drag down normal public schools. And I loved my magnet school experience, because I got to experience a school environment where people really wanted to be there instead of the apathy you often get in regular schools. So I just don't get the vehement protests about charter schools. Some fail, others do great- just like regular public schools.