A report released Tuesday suggests Michigan charter schools may be excluding secondary and physically disabled students.
The report, conducted by researchers at the Education Policy Center at MSU, proposes legislative policy changes to address issues in Michigan’s charter school law.
The report is co-authored by David Plank, a director of the center, and David Arsen, a professor in the James Madison College. The center focuses on activities relating to policy debates and development in the Legislature and Michigan Department of Education.
“Questions arise over if charter schools are finding ways to exclude students,” Plank said. “It is clear to us that there are problems with Michigan’s charter school legislation.
“It is creating winners and losers.”
In 1994, the Michigan Legislature developed policies so students could use their state appropriations to attend charter schools or neighboring districts. Michigan charter schools receive about $6,000 annually per student enrolled.
Some charter schools conduct interviews before admitting students, Plank said.
“It’s in their best interest to exclude,” he said. “Some students cost less to educate than others. Secondary (high school) students and special education students are expensive to educate.”
But Duane Shepherd, principle of New City Academy, 3000 W. Miller Road in Lansing, said statements about charter school’s exclusion of students are untrue.
“Charter schools are a great benefit,” Shepherd said. “We line up with the law in terms of enrollment. Any student in the state that is considered a resident can enroll. The only thing that limits us is the capacity. We’re public schools, we’re public funded and we’re in compliance with the state law.”
Plank and Arsen said their proposed solutions address some of the biggest concerns about charter schools.
Some of their concerns question school accountability and if charter schools are open to all students.
“The report is calling on legislators to change legislation to make it work for everybody,” said Victor Inzunza, a spokesman for the MSU College of Education. “They have proposed solutions, and this is what legislation needs to do to help everybody.”
The researchers provided four main solutions for lawmakers to consider:
The report, An Accountability Framework for Michigan Charter Schools, is a set of policy recommendations based on research conducted more than a year ago, Plank said.
