“I don’t have anything against charter schools as such,’’ said Barrett. “It’s the funding of them, that’s the biggest problems mayors have. They were intended for cities, not for rural areas like Berkshire County.’’ He supports the education reform bill, but advocates much stricter accountability standards.
One flaw in the Housatonic charter application is that the four public school districts in South Berkshire are among the highest-performing in the county, and students have ample school-choice opportunities in neighboring districts, all of which welcome transfers.
Basan Nembirkow, former school superintendent in Brockton and Chicopee and now interim superintendent in Lenox, helped block a Brockton charter school application. “Brockton is one of the top-performing schools in the state,’’ Nembirkow said. “The charter school would have cost the district up to $15 million.’’
Like Barrett, Nembirkow insisted he’s not against charter schools, but is critical of the funding formula and the “lack of transparency.’’
That's the problem with them, transparency. There's no school board accountable to the public overseeing these schools, so they basically do whatever the hell they want with taxpayer money.
Granted, public school boards are often cesspools of corruption as well, but at least there is at least the semblance of accountability when it comes to elections.
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