PORTLAND, Maine — The Maine Charter School Commission has given itself a July 1 deadline to decide whether to approve proposals for charter schools.
That deadline gives any group that plans to a start a school this September only 60 days to recruit students, hire teachers and prepare classrooms.
Commissioner Donald Mordecai said Monday that means probably only one or two schools will open in Maine in 2012.
The Portland Press Herald reports that Commissioner Dick Barnes said the commission is moving cautiously because it wants to make sure that any approved charter school succeeds.
The state’s charter school law enacted last year allows approval of as many as 10 charter schools over the next decade.
Charter schools are funded primarily by public money but are free from many public school regulations.
Another win for MEA pressure tactics
Charter schools are a Private Scam for Tax Payers Dollars!
Stop the Money !
Charter schools are an open invitation for private corporations to steal money from the pubic.
First, I can’t remember voting to have my taxpayer dollars used for this educational “venture”. Second, way too much research shows that most of these schools are NOT successful. And, if they are moving slowly because they ” want to make sure that any approved charter school succeeds.”, they should spend as much energy to help make the public schools successful. Welcome to the way the Maine Heritage Policy Center and its backers want your kids to learn. Glad mine are beyond school age now!!
Mine are grown up and now they are having kids, so it becomes my concern.
I think public school needs all the support that they can get to insure every kid gets an equal chance.
Charter schools just siphon money from the public to help support those who can already afford other options.
What a waste of money. Parents need to get involved and support the public schools. The teachers in these schools are better trained and more competent than private school teachers. The reason private schools look better is because of the kids that are enrolled. Supportive home environment equals good school performance….end of statement.