Turf Wars for Charter Schools

Ever since the beginning of charter schools (Minnesota, 1992) there has been problems with identifying financial feasible charter school facilities. New York City's charter schools often share space with traditional public schools. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg believes public charter schools are a part of the education solution for the city. This notion is supported by NYC Schools Channcellor Joel Klein. About 75 of the city's 99 charter schools are in public school facilities, with the blessing of Chancellor Klein.

Denver Public Schools' Superintendent Tom Boasberg has also permitted public charter schools to either share or take over the district's underused facilities. Further, part of the turnaround plan being considered for DPS' lowest six schools includes allowing new public charter schools to open in underperforming neighborhood schools facing closure via a graduated plan to bring new students into higher performing schools while phasing out poor performing schools.

As in New York City, sharing school district facilities is often contentious just as it is in Denver. Parents want higher performing neighborhood schools that aren't necessarily charter schools.

U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan supports having high-quality charter schools in place to draw students away from the underperforming public schools. Moreover, he noted that high-performing charter schools take away the excuses traditional public educators use for not educating students adequately. Charter schools located in the same neighborhoods as underperforming schools creates a healthy competition and eliminates the excuses for certain groups of students not being able to learn at the same rate or capacity as other students.