Charter Schools Are Losing the Narrative But Winning the Data
Several months ago, David Leonhardt wrote a column in the New York Times summarizing evidence of the striking success public charter schools have had in providing better educations for urban children. “Many charters have flourished, especially in places where traditional schools have struggled,” he wrote. “This evidence comes from top academic researchers, studying a variety of places, including Washington, Boston, Denver, New Orleans, New York, Florida and Texas. The anecdotes about failed charters are real, but they’re not the norm.”
The most striking thing about the coverage of charter schools is the contrast between the tone of data journalism and narrative journalism. In the New York Times, readers of the the Upshot, its data site, have absorbed a story of a movement producing clear successes. “A consistent pattern has emerged from this research,” wrote University of Michigan professor of education, public policy, and economics Sue Dynarski in 2015. “In urban areas, where students are overwhelmingly low-achieving, poor and nonwhite, charter schools tend to do better than other public schools in improving student achievement.” . . .