New Legislation Would Relax Standards For Texas Charters Serving At-Risk Students

When Mansoor Kapasi first began taking his students to chess tournaments, the other parents wondered if they were part of a gang.

He said his students — now well known within the Austin chess-playing community — provide a “huge contrast” to the mostly privileged crowds at chess tournaments. They are primarily economically disadvantaged and minority. Many have limited English proficiency. And all have either dropped out of high school or come close.

Read the whole story

Comments

[changing]

09:11 AM on 05/10/2011

Whoa? A bill that says that schools can't work miracle with certain populations? What? Poverty matters. Ooops-poverty only matter in charter schools. What? It is a Democract helping the charters? What can I say? More Dems like Obama, Booker, Fenty hurting public education?
How about we admit that poverty matters and give poor public schools the help and support they need and exempt them from draconian closures?

[veteran teacher]

07:55 PM on 05/09/2011

What's the matter? Charter schools can't produce the results they claim they can? Maybe it is NOT the teachers.

[researcher]

03:32 PM on 05/09/2011

we have a failing educational system. ie national system.

so we come up with the idea of charter schools and/or super teachers.

until we are willing to change the system which means a change in the american culture our educational system will be failing.

this is an american problem not just an educational problem.

an economic system of profits over people will self destruct a nation into third world status. thank the universe for that universal law that cannot be changed no matter how hard societies try.