Washington, D.C., spends more per student for public education than nearly every U.S. district, yet it consistently scores toward the bottom when it comes to academic progress.
It seems money is not the deciding factor when it comes to educational success. What is working? The twin pillars of accountability and parental involvement.
Nona Richardson, communications manager for the D.C. Public Charter School Board, said about 30 percent of D.C. students attend charter schools — and are finding success, thanks to greater parental control.
“We have a core group of charter schools that are doing exceptionally well," she said. "We have some that are kind of in the medium range that we are really putting pressure on to get to that same level.”
Dan Lips, an education analyst at The Heritage Foundation, said another idea that’s catching on is weighted school funding, where the money follows the child to the school of the family’s choice.
“It’s turning all public schools into charter schools," he said, "where the school can be led by a group of parents, teachers and principals."
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read more about school choice at the Issue Analysis Web site.
