Charter schools multiplying in Mich. as more families opt out of public school

The Detroit News reports:

While enrollment in traditional public schools has fallen in Michigan over the past two decades, charter school enrollment has increased more than 500 percent since the first school in the state opened in the mid-1990s. The state had less than 4,500 students in 41 charter schools in 1995; more than 130,000 children attended 277 charter schools this past year. Despite their growing popularity, charter schools continue to spark debate among educators, advocacy groups and lawmakers who oversee funding for the state’s public schools. A recent study by The Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University has given charter school backers in Michigan a boost. The center cited Michigan as one of 11 states where charter school performance growth in reading and math outpaced traditional public schools. Its study found the stronger gains in both subjects were equivalent to 43 days of learning per year.

The struggle against the monopoly.