You should rent the movie "Waiting for Superman" it's an award winning docuementary on charter schools and private schools. There are a few charter schools and private schools that take the worst students and completely turn them around with better teachers, uniforms, strict discipline, etc. Seriously, if you're interested in the subject, it's worth watching. The filmaker is a liberal Democrat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rmSldhnSDc
Originally Posted by joe bloe
The key to your argument is that it is a charter school, so I assume the parents had to do something proactive to get their kids into those schools. That means they were also supporting the school's policies. That parental involvement is probably worth far more than the uniforms and many other trappings.
You also mention the other key element: better teachers. Doubling the number of charter/private schools will not double the number of good teachers. "Better" teachers are often those with more experience and with the zeal to withstand the pain of administivia. That means they often have enough senority to get the charter school positions.
Yes, a combination of better teachers, more involved parents, and a focused agenda tailored to attract a matching group of students is likely to produce better results. That is the easy part.
Take students who have no support at home (or often an educational hostile atmosphere), no parental support for the school, the second or third tier of teachers, and see if that works in any environment, charter or private or traditional public. Odds are it won't.
Throwing more $ alone will not fix it.
Decreeing tougher standards alone will not fix it.
And using the schools as a political football sure won't.