Commentary

Stolen Dreams

I think it is terrible for individual students that UPrep charter school in Oakland cheated and lied about rising test scores. However, the school board’s quick move to close the school after reviewing the evidence is to the board’s credit and is the great benefit of the accountability of charter schools. No one ever writes headlines like this one in the San Francisco Chronicle, “Students’ stolen dreams: In surprise meeting, board votes to shut Uprep after Chronicle reports that grades, test scores, attendance figures were changed” about the “Stolen Dreams” of regular public school students who attend low-performing schools for their entire public school career. Yeah, it is sad that these kids have to enroll in new schools and it is disappointing/revolting that the adults at the charter school failed them in so many ways. Too bad that other schools that fail students do not face such a stiff sanction as closure. Those kids could benefit from a change as well. No governing body has any plans to shut down Paterson, NJ school district or offer those 28,000 kids some relief.