Remember the 1980s’ mantra for public schools? “Local control. Local control.”
Its more than just a little ironic that the plethora of charter schools around the state have less local control than traditional schools. If charter schools are ever to succeed, then a major rethinking of control and oversight is needed. Right now, all the control of charter schools is vested within the Texas Education Agency in Austin. Given the poor management of some charter schools, that is not entirely a bad thing.

But a better system is sorely needed. Charter schools have too much control in some areas, not enough in others. Granted, charter schools do select their own boards. Perhaps that is part of the problem. How much attention is given to the educational expertise of the board members? Be it far from me to suggest yet another elected body in this state, but would elected charter school board members better serve the needs of the students and their individual communities?
Would it be easier to hold them accountable? It would sure provide a modicum of quality control. In Washington, D.C. there is a charter school board that oversees the district’s charter schools. The ultimate authority, however, is the D.C. School Board.

Thus, there are two bodies monitoring charter schools. Failing schools can be closed quickly; two were closed this summer. Granted, managing anything would be easier in a D.C. than a mammoth state the size of Texas. But perhaps communities that have charter schools should have elected charter school boards that oversee the area’s charter programs with limited oversight from traditional school boards. It might not be an easy partnership, but it could provide better oversight -- and assistance if needed -- to a school in, say, East Texas than the state education agency does now from Austin. Part of what made charter schools appealing from inception was the sense that less government regulations would allow more creativity.

But the lack of oversight is what has created some of the state’s past and current charter school horror stories. Somehow, there needs to be a proper balance that allows good charter schools the freedom to succeed but at the same time can intervene with a failing charter school before it spins out of control. When the Legislature convenes in January, charter schools will be one item that lawmakers will be forced to deal with. A rethinking of the governance structure for charter schools may be an idea whose time has come.