Posted on: Friday, October 5, 2001

Editorial
Charter school effort must not be derailed

The State Board of Education must think carefully before it moves ahead on proposals to shut down a Big Island charter school that has been accused of various health, safety and spending violations.

It's understandable that the reaction of officials to the problems facing the Waters of Life New Century Charter School is to simply close the operation down and then tighten up oversight of all Hawai'i charter schools.

That would be the easy solution, but not the right one. If there are specific problems with the school's physical facilities or safety practices, the state should work with school officials to correct them.

If there are questions about the school's spending or budget management, it is appropriate to insist on a full-scale audit.

If the school is unwilling to cooperate on making the necessary corrections or adjustments, then and only then would it be appropriate for the state to yank its support.

There is no magic in the charter school movement, and surely there are — and will continue to be — failed experiments. Parents will simply place their children elsewhere.

But the operative word here is "experiment." Charter schools are able to experiment with different approaches to education, tailoring curriculum and teaching styles to the needs and abilities of their students.

Obviously, the state has an obligation to do more than simply write out a check to these schools and then walk away. But it must not allow the troubles experienced by any particular institution to become an excuse for reasserting centralized state authority.