ERIC ED570919: "Chartering" Maryland's Future: Is There an Expanded Role for National Charter Management Organizations in Our Schools? The Abell Report. Volume 28, No. 1

0.17 MB·English

by  ERIC

1 2
The
Abell Report
Published by the Abell Foundation
January 2015
Volume 28, Number 1
“Chartering” Maryland’s Future: Is There An
Expanded Role For National Charter Management
Organizations In Our Schools?
Introduction public charter schools have developed in
Baltimore, but the need for high-quality
In 2003, the Maryland General Assembly passed educational offerings, particularly for low-
legislation authorizing the creation of public income students, remains high.4 The arrival of a
charter schools in the state. Eleven years later, new CEO for Baltimore City Schools in July 2014
forty-seven charter schools are educating and the election of a pro-charter Republican
approximately 18,000 students across Maryland.1 governor for Maryland in November 2014
The vast majority of those schools (31) are located suggest changes to current education policies.
in Baltimore City, where charters educate roughly One possible direction involves inviting
10,000 of the City’s 84,000 public school students.2 successful charter management organizations
Across the rest of the state, however, public (CMOs) to open new schools or, in some cases,
charter schools are quite rare, as three-quarters take over the management of underperforming
of Maryland’s school districts have no operating schools. This reform strategy, currently being
charter schools. attempted in cities like Camden, New Jersey, is
attracting national attention.5
In 2013, the General Assembly asked the
Maryland State Department of Education Policy makers in Baltimore and Maryland must
(MSDE) to study a number of educational issues ask whether these national, high performing
specific to charters and make recommendations. charter management organizations have a role
MSDE commissioned the Schaefer Center on to play in the future of Maryland’s schools.
Public Policy at the University of Baltimore to In the hope of providing context for those
prepare a report on the state of charter schools discussions, this Abell Report investigates two
in Maryland. The MSDE Report, released in related questions:
December 2014, provides data regarding the
landscape of public charter schools in Maryland, 1. Are there CMOs in other cities that
recommends changes to select policies, and have been successful in increasing the
supports the expansion of the public charter academic achievement of students with
sector in Maryland.3 profiles similar to those of students in
Baltimore City public schools?
While the MSDE Report provides a statewide
perspective for this Abell Report, trends in 2. Would those CMOs be willing to come to
Baltimore and nationwide provide another. Over Baltimore and, if so, under what terms?
the past decade, a handful of high performing
Abell Foundation www.abell.org @abellfoundation P: 410-547-1300 January 2015
2
From Charter Schools to Charter Nationally, the Center for Research on
Management Organizations Educational Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford
University has identified 167 CMOs operating
Charter schools originated as alternatives to 1372 schools.8 Some CMOs are comprised of
traditional public schools. By operating outside small networks, with only three or four schools,
the bureaucracies of large public school whereas others, like the Knowledge is Power
systems, charter schools could theoretically be Program (KIPP) is a network of networks,
laboratories for the development of alternative with 141 schools in 20 states and the District
pedagogies, themes, and approaches. They of Columbia, serving over 50,000 students.9
could use the fiscal autonomy granted them The size and scope of many of these CMOs is
by district and state authorizers to make only growing larger, as select high performing
mission-driven, school-level decisions about CMOs are expanding in cities and states across
budgets, staffing, and related instruction the country.10
strategies necessary to produce high levels of
achievement for all students. The vast majority of charter schools in
Baltimore City are independent charters, but
Advocates across a range of political ideologies there are currently two organizations that
seized on charter schools as unlocking the operate three or more schools in Baltimore
unrealized promises of publicly-funded City and thus could be considered CMOs:
education.6 One set of those advocates the Baltimore Curriculum Project and the
focused specifically on the apparent failure of City Neighbors Foundation. KIPP is the only
the traditional public schools to improve the national CMO currently in Baltimore City, and
academic performance of low-income students it operates only one school. Typically KIPP
of color and used charter school legislation prefers to operate between 4 and 6 schools in
to create new school models focused, with a given school district.
often razor sharp precision, on eliminating
the achievement gap. The charter schools’ Are there national CMOs that have
successes and their failures have prompted been successful in supporting the
fierce debates about privatization, equity, academic achievement of students
market-driven reforms, teachers’ unions, with profiles similar to those of
funding formulas, and parental power. The students in Baltimore City public
debates have only become more heated in schools?
recent years, as student test scores – not to
mention district budgets, teacher attrition Yes. CREDO recently investigated whether the
rates, and bottom lines – have been deployed supposed benefits of CMOs translated into
as data points for researchers, advocates and greater student learning gains than could be
pundits on all sides.7 seen in either independent charter schools
or traditional public schools. Nationwide the
One trend is undeniable, however: charter findings were mixed which, given the mixed
management organizations (CMOs) have results of public charter schools and traditional
emerged as major players in the national public schools, is not surprising.11
debate over charter schools. CMOs form when
charter school leaders, believing they have There were, however, some populations
developed a successful school model, replicate for whom CMOs were realizing impressive
that model to other schools. The theory is that learning gains. Specifically, CREDO found “[s]
students (and districts) will benefit from the tudents in poverty (those eligible for free
institutional knowledge, economies of scale or reduced lunches), ELL [English language
and proven record of success that CMOs
could offer.
2 3
learners] students, and SPED [special education] CREDO also evaluated individual CMO
students all have significantly stronger growth networks using statistical models based on
in reading and math scores when attending the average growth of their students in math
a school associated with a CMO as compared and reading as compared to traditional public
to students attending non-CMO charters or school students. While the authors note that
traditional public schools.”12 The study also these results should be viewed with caution
found that black students (both in poverty and (primarily because the scores are aggregate
not in poverty) who attended a CMO charter values), the results provide a glimpse at which
had stronger growth in both reading and math CMO networks are able to improve the rate of
than black students attending a traditional academic growth for their students. The list
public school; however, the difference between also provides information about the number
black non-poverty students in traditional public of schools and number of students served
schools and CMOs is not significant in reading.13 by the CMO and whether the students are in
For the critical subpopulation of black students poverty and/or children of color.16
in poverty – a significant population of Baltimore
City public schools – the CREDO findings We examined CREDO’s list for CMOs that
demonstrate that there are CMOs that are are achieving success with students whose
achieving impressive academic outcomes. profiles are similar to students in Baltimore
City and that are doing so at scale (which we
The CREDO analysis also found that students in loosely defined as operating five or more
CMO-run charter schools achieve better learning schools with 500+ students). A handful of
gains over time than do students in independent CMOs stood out in CREDO’s lists. Those
charter schools. The authors explain: “Students CMOs included: Mastery Charter (PA, NJ),
who attend a CMO charter school not only Breakthrough Schools (OH), IDEA Academy
have stronger average growth than students (TX), KIPP (national), Uncommon Schools (NY,
who attend a non-CMO charter school, but the MA, NJ), and YES Prep (TX).
growth of CMO charter students increases more
as they spend more years in the school than Would those CMOs be willing
does the growth of students attending non-CMO to expand into Baltimore? Or in
charter schools.”14 the case of KIPP, expand within
Baltimore?
Even with those successes, however, the CREDO
study sounded a note of caution. It found that A. CMO expansion process
crossing state boundaries can be a hurdle for
many otherwise successful CMOs, as changes Abell reached out to leaders of several
in state laws can have a profound impact on the high performing national CMOs to better
conditions in which charter schools operate. As a understand the factors they consider
result, students in multi-state CMOs had weaker when evaluating an opportunity to expand
growth in reading and math than did students into a new city or region.17 The decision
in those CMOs that had more geographically to open a new school – let alone expand
concentrated networks.15 One can conclude into a new city or region – is the result
that those CMOs which post impressive student of an often intense deliberative process
learning outcomes across different states – and involving a CMO’s board members and
thus confound this general trend – appear best leadership. Sometimes this process
suited for replication and expansion across occurs in the context of an organization’s
state lines. strategic planning process; at other times,
it is a separate process undertaken when
Abell Foundation www.abell.org @abellfoundation P: 410-547-1300 January 2015
4
“The impulse to grow nationally is a powerful
force,” one CMO leader exp• lained, “but without
enabling local conditions, it’s thwarted.”
the organization determines it is in a position sustainability of CMOs is the cost of the
to grow. But the organization’s readiness school building. In some districts, charters are
to expand is only part of the equation. “The expected to pay for facilities using a portion
impulse to grow nationally is a powerful force,” of their per pupil allocation; in other districts,
one CMO leader explained, “but without the charters are granted facilities in addition
enabling local conditions, it’s thwarted.” The to the per pupil allocation. In Newark, one
evaluation of those conditions can take months CMO leader explained, charters receive a $3K
or even years, as CMOs weigh a variety of per pupil allocation for facilities on top of the
factors. Here are the factors they consider, regular per pupil funding. In New York City,
ranked loosely by priority: she continued, the school system is required
to find you a building in which to operate.
1. Need. Top on each list was the profile of
Another operator explained that their
the students who would be served and
organization decided to move to Memphis,
whether those students fit the mission of the
in part, because they were guaranteed
organization. “Would we be serving the kids
facilities there. “Access to district facilities
we’re meant to serve?” one asked. “Is there a
or to facilities funding,” one explained,
demand for the kind of educational product we
“is absolutely critical. One of our biggest
provide?” To ascertain the level of need in an
obstacles to opening schools has been not
area, one leader described making “heat maps”
having access to facilities.”
that identified areas with high concentrations
of high poverty students. “We don’t want to 3. State charter law: Autonomy. CMO leaders
put down schools in areas of affluence or with study the charter legislation in the cities and
low concentrations of students,” he explained. states they are considering to determine
“It just wouldn’t make sense for our model.” whether the legislation grants the autonomy
they determine is necessary for their
2. Economic Sustainability: Per Pupil
operations. They expressed a preference for
Funding and Facilities. CMOs consider
more autonomy, particularly around the areas
the local funding formulas very carefully
of operations and hiring. One CMO leader
in evaluating whether or not their schools
put it simply: “We would want charter laws
would be viable operationally and financially.
that protect our ability to operate our schools
More than one CMO leader voiced a
autonomously, with a long enough operating
philosophical commitment “to operating
window and which hold schools accountable
schools on public dollars at scale” and said
for performance but in ways that are
they needed to ensure that per pupil aid was
reasonable.” An authorizer that is empowered
sufficient. Ideally, one explained, they look
to promote autonomy while still providing
for places where the law “funds charters at
accountability is a key part of that process.
the same amount as district schools.”
Almost all CMO leaders stressed the
Another challenge to the economic
4 5
importance of autonomy in hiring decisions. and considered broader changes to urban
As one explained, “we’d want to ensure there infrastructure, neighborhood demographics,
was nothing in the legislation that restricts who and existing civic partnerships as fundamental
we hire… and we’d ideally love to have as few to selecting that new city. Another CMO
restrictions on teacher qualifications too (e.g. an leader said they look for cities with “key
environment that allows teachers to teach while supportive stakeholders” such as the SUNY
they pursue certification.)” Charter School Institute which can “help
support a community of practitioners.” To
When asked specifically if the presence of a underscore the importance of community
collective bargaining agreement between the support, a different CMO leader expressed
teacher’s union and the school district would her organization’s decision not to expand as
be a factor in a CMO’s decision about whether reflective of their desire to stay rooted in their
or not to expand to a certain city, all but one existing communities and strengthen ties with
said yes. One leader explained that many their existing community partners.
staff who came from unionized environments
5. Opportunity to grow: Multiple schools.
“complained about the us-vs-them culture [of
Each of the CMO leaders spoke directly of a
unionized schools] and the constraints on doing
desire to have more than one school – usually
what needs to be done for kids, including getting
a guarantee of five or six schools – in any city
rid of teachers who are not effective and not
in which they opened. They explained they
improving.” She said that collective bargaining
would achieve better economies of scale and
would be, for them, “a deal breaker.” Another
create a stronger culture if they could grow
CMO leader shared that their organization had
multiple schools at the same time. Moreover,
considered Chicago as a possible expansion city,
opening multiple sites at the same time, one
“but then the teacher strike happened there
leader explained, allows for further “training
and it was off the list.” The only CMO leader who
and professional development opportunities
didn’t immediately dismiss a city with a collective
for principals and teachers, creates cohorts
bargaining agreement was one who admitted
for teachers, and fosters opportunities for
he hadn’t thought about it before. “We don’t
collaboration.”
know enough about the details of working with
a union,” he said, “to know what it would mean
6. Talent Pipeline. CMO leaders expressed
for our model.”
interest in expanding to communities with a
pre-existing talent pipeline for teachers and
4. Community Support. What is the community’s
school leaders. One named Teach for America
attitude toward the CMO and the possibility of
as a key indicator of that pipeline, but said
expansion? Some CMO leaders differentiated
they considered other alternative certification
between grassroots community support,
programs as indicative of that pipeline as well.
government/district support, and the support
When asked why the alternative certification
of the philanthropic community; others
programs were considered a salient factor,
grouped these stakeholders collectively as
the leaders replied that they had achieved
the “community.” The relative breadth of the
programmatic success with teachers from
definition, however, was less important than the
those pipelines, and they wanted to echo
strength of the support the community provided.
that success in their new sites. Another
factor worth noting, though, is that younger
Fleshing out what the community support would
teachers are less expensive than more
look like in different cities is a key component
experienced ones and might also be willing
of the CMOs’ fact-finding processes. Once the
and able to work the longer hours required at
decision to expand to a new city was made,
some of these CMOs.
one CMO leader explained, his leadership team
sought out a unified, supportive community
Abell Foundation www.abell.org @abellfoundation P: 410-547-1300 January 2015
6
A general overview of the economic
sustainability question suggests that these CMOs
would not find Baltimore’s current funding
formula to be a favorable one.
B. How Baltimore and Maryland stack up analysis of Baltimore’s National Assessment
of Educational Progress data shows that,
Where does Baltimore and, more broadly, since 2009, students in Baltimore City Schools
Maryland stand in this analysis? Would have made statistically significant gains in
these successful CMOs consider expanding 8th grade reading and increases in 4th grade
here? Many of the CMOs with whom Abell reading. Even with these improvements,
spoke could not offer a direct evaluation of Baltimore students still perform in the bottom
Baltimore’s landscape for charter expansion third of the nation’s largest cities according
because they had yet to study the legislative to the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA)
framework or the facts on the ground. But data. The most notable area of concern is the
based on the criteria they identified, it is stagnation in math scores. Baltimore actually
possible to consider how Baltimore would saw increases in mathematics scores from 2009
fare should such an evaluation take place with – 2011, followed by a decline from 2011 – 2013.
current legislation and policies in effect. Meanwhile, urban districts similar to Baltimore
made math gains from 2011- 2013.19
1. Baltimore City has thousands of low-income
The waitlists to get into the city’s most popular
students who are struggling to make the
public charter schools are also long. For
kinds of academic gains necessary to close
the 2014-2015 school year, five elementary/
the racial and economic achievement gap.
middle schools have waitlists with over 400
Parents in Baltimore City are eager for high
families and one school has over 600 families
quality options.
on its waitlist.20 Because each charter school
maintains its own waitlist and because families
Of the 84,730 students enrolled in Baltimore
can be on multiple waitlists at the same time,
City Schools in the 2013-2014 school year,
it is not currently possible to present an
the vast majority (84.5 percent) qualify for
unduplicated count of families on waitlists for
Free and Reduced-Price Meals. Baltimore City
Baltimore City charter schools.
Schools are predominately African American
(83.8 percent of total enrollment) with white
students accounting for 8 percent and 2. A general overview of the economic
Hispanic/Latino students accounting for 6 sustainability question suggests that these
percent of the remaining student population. CMOs would not find Baltimore’s current
There is also a small, but growing population of funding formula to be a favorable one.
English language learners (3.9 percent).18
Maryland law requires local school districts to
Despite recent gains in reading test scores, provide equal funding to all students, whether
the educational outcomes of students in they attend traditional public schools or public
Baltimore City remain stubbornly low. A recent charter schools. In theory, this would be an
6 7
attractive baseline to CMOs that claim an interest school teacher salaries. The teacher contract
in operating solely on public funds. In practice, negotiated in 2010 includes $20,000 increases
however, charter advocates question whether for “model teachers”, a designation that is
the current method of calculating the “per pupil” conferred by the central office and not by the
is equitable and charge that students at public principal or the charter operator. Traditional
charters are actually receiving less funding from public schools are insulated from the effects
the city and state than are students at traditional of these “bumps” because they calculate their
public schools. budgets using average salaries, but because
charters use actual salary figures, they face
The first issue regards facilities. Charter schools a more volatile annual budgeting process
in Maryland must pay the costs of their own when teachers are centrally “bumped” to a
facilities, whether that involves the payment significantly higher salary.26
of rent or of a mortgage, out of their per pupil
allocation; traditional public schools do not pay 3. Maryland’s charter law has a reputation for
for their facilities. With facilities costs ranging “weakness” among charter advocates, who
from $200 to $1500 per student, charter school cite the law’s lack of autonomy for charter
operators claim there is an immediate reduction schools as a central cause for concern.
in the value of their “per pupil” allocation.21 The
cost of facilities creeps in again through the debt In a report released in January 2014, the
service payments on the district’s buildings. National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
Each year, the district uses restricted budget (NAPCS) listed Maryland 43rd out of 43 states
funds to pay debt service, reducing the amount that has a charter law.27 NAPCS claimed
of money available for operating expenses and Maryland’s law “needs improvement across
the “per pupil” allocation. As charter advocates the board” and found specific problems with
explain, the charter schools “are essentially the limited number of authorizing options in
paying debt service (through a reduced per pupil Maryland, the lack of operational autonomy,
figure) whether or not they are located in public and the need to ensure “equitable operational
school buildings.”22 The cost of the debt service funding and equitable access to capital
is projected to increase significantly as a result funding and facilities.”28
of the district’s ambitious building plans. Charter
advocates claim that “because facilities are not MSDE’s Charter School Study explores how the
specifically addressed in the law, the per-pupil lack of operational autonomy is manifested
allocation is inherently unequal.”23 in charter school personnel issues. According
to the Study, charter operators claim “that
Beyond the issue of facilities looms a larger many of their most frustrating dealings with
set of concerns regarding the transparency their district’s administration were occasioned
and predictability of the funding formula. by personnel issues” and cite a range of
Charter advocates in Baltimore City report that challenges including having to hire staff who
it is still unclear which services are provided to were not committed to the mission of the
public charters and which they have to pay for school and difficulty removing teachers who
directly.24 Moreover, they claim that the process had not performed satisfactorily. Operators
of “buying out” of contracts with vendors (such expressed additional concerns about
as food service providers) is often unclear and bureaucratic hurdles in processing prospective
bureaucratically complex, straining the charter employees and difficulties in organizing
operators’ abilities to conserve funds.25 Finally, professional development that supports the
they note the unintentional impact of collective operator’s mission while upholding the
bargaining on the rapid escalation of charter school district’s collective bargaining
Abell Foundation www.abell.org @abellfoundation P: 410-547-1300 January 2015
8
agreement.29 Still, the MSDE Charter Study reform. Outside of City Schools, there is an
concludes that “not all charter operators are organized and staffed Coalition of Charter
unhappy with the [personnel] situation… Schools that advocates on behalf of charter
and would be happy to continue the existing school operators and a New and Charter
relationship.” It also affirms that “a broad Advisory Board that makes recommendations
consensus in the community of Maryland’s to Baltimore City Schools regarding charter
charter school operators” support collective approvals, renewals, practices and policies.
bargaining, with the caveat that they would Baltimore has a reputation for a strong
like that bargaining done by the charter group of education philanthropists who have
operators.30 provided support for charters and new schools
over the last two decades.
Despite the NAPCS rankings and the
challenges cited in the MSDE Study, there are
5. Opportunity to grow.
those, including the Maryland State Educators
Association, who claim Maryland’s is a strong
As mentioned at the outset of this report, only
charter law and grants a healthy mixture of
two CMOs, the City Neighbors Foundation
autonomy and oversight.31 Debate on the
and the Baltimore Curriculum Project, are
relative strength of the actual law might
currently operating more than two schools
be irrelevant, however as the reputation of
in Baltimore City. It has not been the practice
Maryland’s charter law played a definitive role
in the U.S. Department of Education’s decision of the Baltimore City Public Schools, as the
not to renew Maryland’s charter school authorizer, to grant charters for multiple
planning grant.32 As explained in the MSDE schools at one time, nor for charter applicants
Study, federal grant reviewers cited specific to request multiple schools. Even KIPP, which
concerns about the lack of autonomy granted opened its first school in Baltimore in 2002
to charter operators: “Maryland charter and, shortly thereafter, instituted a national
schools have limited autonomy as a result of strategy of growing within the communities
the restrictive requirements to comply with the
where it was currently operating, has thus
provisions of laws and regulations governing
far found it difficult to scale beyond one K-8
other public schools.”33
school. A former KIPP leader explained that
while KIPP Baltimore wants to add schools, the
4. There is a diverse community of charter
operating conditions in Baltimore (specifically,
supporters across the city, and while there
the challenges of securing facilities, lack of
are pockets of strong support, Baltimore
autonomy over personnel decisions, and
does not demonstrate the unified support
difficulty in securing national expansion
of charter schools that is characteristic of
funding) have made such discussions
some other cities in the country.
unproductive thus far. The lack of national

There is a diverse community of charter expansion funding potentially affects other
supporters across the City with a growing, if Baltimore charters interested in growth.
not fully unified, system of support. Charters National funders like the Charter School
fit well within the portfolio approach of the Growth Fund, which has invested millions of
Baltimore City Public School System, which dollars in other communities, will not invest
offers choice for all middle and high school in Maryland because of concerns about the
students. Within Baltimore City Schools, the operating conditions local charters face.
Office of New Initiatives provides data and
support for new school creation and systemic
8 9
This strong national demand makes CMO
expansion a “seller’s market” where even the
most attractive districts are struggling to attract
a handful of highly regarded operators.
6. The talent pipeline for teachers in Baltimore between districts and CMOs, the Florida
is strong. Department of Education announced that it
would offer financial incentives to help some
Baltimore is home to a very active Teach for of its highest-need districts in the state attract
America corps, which brings 150 new teachers to successful CMOs.35
Baltimore City each year and boasts 700 alums,
many who continue to work in the education The demand is being felt by the CMOs,
arena after their two year TFA commitment. The too. One CMO leader we interviewed had
Baltimore City Teacher Residency trains and received unsolicited proposals from five
places an additional 125 new teachers each year, different cities, offering packages including
and the Urban Teacher Center currently adds philanthropic grant support, facilities,
an additional 48 new teachers. Taken together, and a guarantee of multiple schools. (The
these three programs account for roughly half of unsolicited interest was, in fact, what drove
the new teachers hired each year by Baltimore the leadership of the CMO to develop their
City Schools. While there are still concerns own criteria for expansion and launch their
about retaining high quality teachers in high national analysis of sites.)
need schools, this pipeline is strongly reflective
of the teacher candidates sought by the high This strong national demand makes CMO
performing CMOs. expansion a “seller’s market” where
even the most attractive districts are
C. National Competition for these CMOS struggling to attract a handful of highly
i s Strong regarded operators. In September 2014, the
Washington Post reported that Washington,
Interest in attracting these high performing DC received no new applications from out-
CMOs runs high in certain parts of the country. of-state operators. This lack of interest was
In 2012, New Jersey passed the Urban Hope surprising, the article noted, because DC “has
Act which created a special classification of some of the highest per-pupil spending in the
“renaissance schools” and paved the way for country, charter-friendly politicians, strong
high-performing CMOs Uncommon, KIPP, and philanthropic support, and a metropolitan
Mastery to open clusters of schools in Camden, environment that is attractive to many
New Jersey. With a per pupil allocation of almost potential teachers and school leaders.”36 With
$24K and a promise of new facilities, the three 44 percent of students in the District enrolled
CMOs (with a possible fourth) are projected in charter schools, the article noted, the lack
to open 15 schools and enroll 9,754 students, of new applications could hardly stem from
nearly as many as currently enroll in Camden’s a lack of public interest. Rather, the problem
traditional public schools.34 In 2014, in what appeared to be too much competition from
experts call “one of the most far-reaching efforts other districts and too little appetite for
to nurture mutually beneficial relationships” expansion from the CMOs.
Abell Foundation www.abell.org @abellfoundation P: 410-547-1300 January 2015
10
Conclusion Endnotes
CMOs that have been successful in educating 1 “Maryland charter school count and enroll-
low-income children of color have emerged as ment”, email from MSDE, received December
vital players in the national education reform 2, 2014.
landscape. This inquiry reveals that there are
2 “By the Numbers” http://www.baltimorecity-
a number of high-performing CMOs that are
schools.org/about/by_the_numbers accessed
achieving success educating children with
December 11, 2014.
profiles similar to those students in Baltimore
City public schools and that are doing so at 3 Charter School Study Prepared for the Mary-
land State Department of Education by the Uni-
scale. It also reveals that these CMOs are
versity of Baltimore Schaefer Center for Public
in strong demand nationally and absent a
Policy, November 1, 2014. (Hereafter cited as
concerted effort to create a change in the
MSDE Charter Study.) http://marylandpublic-
charter legislation or pass special legislation
schools.org/MSDE/programs/charter_schools/
along the lines of New Jersey’s Urban Hope
doc/CharterSchoolReport12172014.pdf
Act, it is highly unlikely that these CMOs would
expand to Baltimore. If Maryland policymakers 4 MarylandCAN (2014). Baltimore Opportuni-
hope to increase the number of high ty Schools: A celebration of poverty-defying
performing charter schools in Baltimore by public school seats and how to create tens of
thousands more.
attracting these high performing CMOs, they
would need to change current policy. At the
5 “Mastery opens its first doors to Camden
same time, the national competition for these
students,” http://www.courierpostonline.com/
highly coveted CMOs is so fierce that there is story/news/local/south-jersey/2014/08/27/
no guarantee that these CMOs would choose mastery-opens-doors-first-camden-stu-
Baltimore even if those changes were put into dents/14683111/ accessed December 2, 2014;
effect. “Tough Task: Fix Camden’s Schools,” http://
online.wsj.com/articles/camdens-renais-
As policy makers in Baltimore and Annapolis sance-man-1412559539 Accessed November
19, 2014.
contemplate the results of Maryland’s first
decade of charter schools and plan a path
6 Richard Kahlenberg and Halley Potter, A
forward, a deeper inquiry into national CMOs
Smarter Charter: Finding What Works for Char-
with effective track records is warranted. Is ter Schools and Public Education. New York:
there a role for one (or a handful) of these Teachers College Press, 2014.
high performing CMOs in Maryland? Might
7 Kahlenberg and Potter, A Smarter Charter;
they be interested in opening new schools
Diane Ravitch, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the
here or in partnering with school districts to
Privatization Movement and the Danger to
transform a cluster of low-performing schools,
American Public Schools. New York: Vintage,
as is being done in Camden, New Jersey?
2014; Kristen Buras, Charter Schools, Race, and
If interest does exist, what, if anything, can
Urban Space: Where the Market Meets Grass-
be done to attract them to Baltimore and to
roots Resistance. New York: Routledge, 2014;
Maryland? We encourage these questions and Richard Whitmore, On the Rocketship: How the
the conversations that ensue. Top Charter Schools are Pushing the Envelope.
New York: Jolley-Bass, 2014.