Charter Political Confusion

Eduwonk is in Indianapolis (home to one of the nation’s finest blues bars). The mayor here, Democrat Bart Peterson, is the only mayor in the country who can authorize charter schools himself. He’s got quite a variety now and you can learn more about them here.

This morning, Eduwonk visited two schools. One, run by left-leaning folks was very regimented and structured, basically hard-core traditional. It was a KIPP school. The other, run by right-leaning folks, was very progressive, individualized, and child-centered. They’re both great schools, but they help give the lie to the way discussions about education and charter schools are too often shoehorned into political frameworks that just don’t fit.