Why Charter Schools Fail the Test

Burkittsville, Md.

CHARLES MURRAY presents us with a specious argument. Charter schools fail by not teaching the standardised content of the standardised tests. They do not fail to teach their pupils.

The problem with this argument is that the standardised content is supposed to be a subset of the charter curriculum. If the student learned the charter curriculum he or she should do splendidly on the standardised test. As Murray points out the students at the charter schools score a standard distribution on the standardised tests. This indicates to me that the test is a good measure. The students are standard.

I can now consider why public money is spent on public schools not on private institutions. The states have no control of the indoctrination done in private schools. The Constitution requires no establishment of religion and equality of opportunity. These things cannot exist in an institution designed to deny them.

Thus such institutions cannot be supported with public funds.