Dive Brief:
- Under-performing charter schools are being closed quicker due to a new Texas law.
- The law, which was implemented last year, mandates that the Texas Education Authority closes charter schools that have three consecutive years of poor financial or academic records.
- Since February, the TEA has revoked the licenses of five charter schools and, according to the Dallas Morning News, there are three more with pending appeals.
Dive Insight:
This move is one other states may begin to consider. Michigan has been dealing with a lack of accountability in its charter schools, and according to an investigative report by the Detroit Free Press, many schools were allowed to stay open despite poor performance and opaque finances. Since charter schools seek to open alternative forms of education in a state, it would be fair to expect adequate, if not better, finances and performance. If a school lacks these two things, it does not make sense for the public to continue to fund it.