Opinion/Crowley: Are charters superior to traditional schools?
Joseph H. Crowley
Joseph H. Crowley, past president of the Rhode Island Association of School Principals, is co-author with Albert Colella of "Poverty & Despair vs. Education & Opportunity." He lives in Cranston.
In "Charter moratorium wrong for education" (Commentary, April 29), Michael DiBiase makes the claim that charter schools "have outcomes two or three times better than traditional public schools." He offers no statistics to back that claim.
In 2019-20 RICAS testing, the charters, on average, outperformed schools in Providence, Woonsocket, Central Falls and Pawtucket, districts DiBiase notes as "among the lowest performing in the state." But in no instance was the difference "two or three times." Charters have a number of advantages over traditional school, which are reflected in test scores. These advantages should produce better outcomes.