Mixed Reviews: Education Leaders and Politicians Debate the Effectiveness of Charter Schools

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WITH A PROCLAMATION by President George W. Bush and a series of visits by federal education officials, charter schools enjoyed a week of national attention in May, celebrating their supporters' claim that they can be more effective than other public schools in boosting student achievement.

"Charter schools are raising the bar about what's possible--and what should be expected--in public education," said Nelson Smith, president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, at a media briefing in Washington during "National Charter Schools Week" May 1-5.

But others in the educational community are not so sure. And as expected, those who promote positive highlights over charters lie along charter supporters, or those in the president's camp, and those who highlight the negative tend to be charter opponents, such as union leaders and more Democrats. The American Federation of Teachers is sticking by a study it reported last November …