One of the major negatives about the charter schools in Michigan is their lack of transparency and accountability. The Detroit Free Press ran a major story two years ago about the egregious lack of oversight in the state’s charter schools:
Granted, this expose is over two years old, but I’m not sure that things have changed appreciably since then.
My chief concern with the current school closings is that the children currently attending those schools have no real alternatives. I heard an interview on the radio this morning with a Detroit parent whose child’s school is closing. The parent was told that there openings in schools in Ann Arbor: 45 minutes away, no bus service, no transportation options… really?