In Austin, members of a legislative committee got an earful about the shortcomings of Texas charter schools. Although some charter school reform was passed in the last session of the Texas Legislature, more reform is likely to be called for when lawmakers reconvene in January.
Also week, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Sanchez  called for tougher accountability measures for Texas charter schools. He questioned Rick Perry’s management of the charter school system and cited recent reports of disproportionate spending and flagrant abuses.
Lawmakers heard about some of the abuse of funds. Charter schools in Houston had a particular problem in this area. One charter school is in the midst of charter revocation hearings for a number of funding abuses that include purchases at Victoria’s Secrets lingerie boutique. Another Houston school is facing an investigation related to missing attendance documents and questionable salaries for administrators. Although these cases seem to pale in comparison to the goings on at the infamous Emma Harrison Charter School in Waco, they nonetheless will cause lawmakers to look to shore up the system yet again when the Legislature reconvenes next year.  
This legislative and political scrutiny comes at a time that under Rick Perry, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has allocated 40 percent of renovation grants to charter schools, which only educates one percent of Texas students. And, performance at charter schools is dismal.
The Sanchez campaign also cites other failures at the state’s charter schools: Massive (77 percent)  teacher turn-over 25 percent lower passage of state tests

Hiring of convicted felons Although Sanchez supports the concept of charter schools, he said he believes they should be managed properly, something he said Rick Perry has failed to do.
A large number of Black and Hispanic students attend the state’s charter schools. Some of them are doing a good job. However, far too many of them are doing an inferior job of educating students than the traditional public schools the students left. This failure becomes more offensive when the charter school operators fail the students because they either don’t know  what they are doing or they don’t care.

Charter schools have an important role to play in public education, put parents and the public – particularly lawmakers who allow our tax dollars to flow to them – must make sure they work properly.