Charter Schools : Myths and Realities

City Journal reports:

The United Federation of Teachers wants to stop the expansion of charter schools. As part of its longstanding campaign to drive charter operators out of New York City, the union has seized upon the so-called “enrollment gap.” Charters, they claim, get such great results because they find ways to avoid serving the most challenging students—namely, non-native English speakers and the disabled. The enrollment gap does exist, but as my research and new data from the New York City Independent Budget Office (IBO) confirms, the union’s explanation for it is highly misleading.

Charters aren’t systematically shutting out disadvantaged students. Enrollment is determined by lotteries, so when such students apply to attend charters, they are just as likely as other students to get in. But few English-language learner (ELL) students apply to attend charters, for perhaps understandable reasons. New immigrant families, for instance, may be less aware of schooling options beyond the neighborhood public school. Language barriers may also hinder parents of ELL students from researching schools and applying to them. In this respect, charters probably could do more to recruit ELL students—but that’s a far cry from suggesting a climate of active discrimination.

An education on education reform.