How many charter schools are too many?
In the bruising battle over charter school expansion in Massachusetts, a critical question has received scant attention: How many charters are too many?
A ballot question before voters next week would allow 12 new or expanded charter schools per year, with no end date — opening the door to a major expansion of a 78-school charter system that is widely considered one of the best in the country.
The pace and scope of the potential growth have alarmed even some who support charters in general, such as Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. He argued in a recent opinion article in the Globe that swift expansion could cut into the quality of charters and prove a major financial drain on the traditional public schools that serve the bulk of students. Question 2, he wrote, is “a looming death spiral aimed squarely at the most vulnerable children in our city.”
Supporters of the referendum say that kind of language is alarmist and ignores a Massachusetts charter culture that prizes careful, deliberate expansion — and that would continue to do so even if the referendum passes.
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