• Charter school accountability Charter school accountability The issue of charter school accountability came home to roost on Kaua‘i this week with the conviction of a school administrator on child beating charges. Earlier in the week a state audit showed
• Charter school accountability
Charter school accountability
The issue of charter school accountability came home to roost on Kaua‘i this week with the conviction of a school administrator on child beating charges.
Earlier in the week a state audit showed problems at charter schools across the state.
The Kaua‘i case was the icing on the cake for opponents of charter schools, and showed that there are serious problems. The Kekaha woman convicted in the beating case is back on the job, awaiting sentencing.
Why she is still on the job is problematic. If she was a public or private school administrator – or for that matter an employee of a business – she likely wouldn’t be on the job anymore. Because she is still working in an environment with close contact with children at a charter school clearly points out the accountability factor here.
The woman should have been removed immediately upon conviction. The fact that she is still at her desk without any apparent corrective measures in place shows the weakness of charter school organizations. It appears they are run based on inner-organization politics rather than the strict standards of most schools and businesses.
The disconnect between the state Department of Education and charter schools is also apparent here, a point of criticism of the charter schools. It’s likely only the non-profit organization that funds the school can take action in removing the administrator.
The creation of charter schools is in theory a good idea. In Mainland states the system is working well with schools that specialize in the arts and other areas, and at schools with a cultural focus on say a tribal people, adding to the educational opportunities available for students in the K-12 age group.
However, the continued employment of the Kekaha woman brings into focus the stereotyping of charter schools as schools run in a somewhat disorderly fashion, with low standards of performance.
The Kaua‘i case is finding legs this weekend and being broadcast across Hawai‘i, as well as to the Mainland. This reflects poorly on Kaua‘i, and we believe calls for an investigation into how the school in Kekaha is run. Letting someone who has beaten their own child continue on in a key school role shows a great lack of wisdom and common sense, and bodes poorly for the continuation of support for the charter school movement on our Island.
