Dingerson, Leigh; Miner, Barbara; Peterson, Bob; Walters, Stephanie (Eds.). (2008). Keeping the Promise: The Debate Over Charter Schools. Reviewed by Marjorie Clark, George Washington University

Dingerson, Leigh; Miner, Barbara; Peterson, Bob; Walters, Stephanie (Eds.). (2008). Keeping the Promise: The Debate Over Charter Schools. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools, Ltd. Pp. xix + 110     $17     ISBN 978-0-942961-38-6 Reviewed by Marjorie Clark George Washington University July 27, 2008 Twenty years have passed since the birth of the charter school movement, yet the progress and the future of such schools remains hotly debated both locally and nationally. Initially conceived of as places where teachers would be free from bureaucratic constraints, and thus be more likely to practice innovative teaching, charter schools have now evolved into a variety of forms. In Keeping the Promise: The Debate over Charter Schools editors Leigh Dingerson, Barbara Miner, Bob Peterson and Stephanie Walters provide a number of perspectives on this debate. Though many of the articles in the volume argue against charter schools, the book does encompass various viewpoints on this contentious issue. The editors begin the book with an introduction, where they explore the background of the charter school movement. They note that the charter concept grew out of progressive ideals focused on empowering teachers and students, something which they believe has had varying success. Specifically, the editors point out that charter schools are extremely diverse in form and function, and while they may all talk about innovation and change, they differ substantially in their structures and practices. Setting up the rest of the chapters, they ask pointed questions about the history and future of the charter school movement, as well as speculate on the possible outcomes of these schools as a whole. In Chapter 1, Ted Sizer and George Wood explore the purpose behind charter schools and question whether such schools have lived up to their goal of improving public education. The authors, who have come from public education (Sizer from the charter side, Wood from the traditional side) note that “it is not possible to consider charters as a single entity” (p. 8) but argue that policy discussions around the movement should consider five key questions. These include questions on equity, access, public education goals, ownership, and bureaucratic constraints. They specifically worry about the loss of innovation in charter schools, something echoed by later articles. The next three chapters offer heavy critiques of the charter school movement in different cities. Leigh Dingerson explores public schools in the city of New Orleans in Chapter 2 and argues that for-profit charter schools have taken advantage of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. Dingerson points out a number of examples of how charter organizations were able to receive greater resources and exclude “undesirable” students, all to the detriment of the school system in New Orleans. In Chapter 3, Amy Hanauer notes similar problems in Ohio, particularly lambasting the financial reporting and poor performance of the for-profit charter company White Hat Management. While she concedes that a handful of independent, community-based charters have done well, she nevertheless states “the charter school industry has failed to even remotely deliver on its promises” (p. 48). Using a similar lens, Zein El-Amine and Lee Glazer address the issue of privatization in Chapter 4 through a look at the system in Washington, D.C. Their argument follows the previous two chapters, yet they also add an interesting comparison between charter schools and the World Bank/International Monetary Fund programs which tie loans in developing nations to privatization and free-market policies. They argue that few D.C. charter schools are community based, with most run by for-profit companies that utilize an entrepreneurial business model, such as Mosaica, Edison, and LearnNow, a practice which has provided poor results for many public school students. Together, these three chapters give examples of, in Hanauer’s words, “how not to do charter schools” (p. 35). After such a strong critique of specific systems, the next two chapters provide a much more positive outlook on the charter school movement. In Chapter 5, Dan French shows how Boston’s Pilot Schools utilized the ideas of the charter school movement to promote teachers, parent and student empowerment. He describes Pilot Schools, which are not privately run, as places where teachers have greater freedom, students have stronger support, and schools are locally governed. In conclusion, he specifies eight “lessons learned” about equity, community, accountability, and a variety of other factors. Barbara Miner provides further evidence of positive charter school voices in Chapter 6, through interviews with educators from Philadelphia, Oregon and D.C. The tone is one of praise, such as when one educator states “we can build a curriculum based on individual students’ needs and interests” (p. 84). Though their experiences differ substantially, these practitioners offer ideas about why different programs have worked or failed in their schools and communities. Finally, Linda Darling-Hammond and Kenneth Montgomery end the book with a chapter on how policy may guide the charter school movement in the future. Following similar ideas throughout the book, they state that “some charter policies may foster more equitable and accessible systems than others” (p. 98). They argue that small, community-based schools, particularly those in California and Minnesota, have shown great progress in promoting ideas that are rooted in democratic principles and an understanding of students and teachers. They focus specifically on the idea of innovation and public purpose, leaving the reader with a strong sense of the important role of public schools for our future. While the book repeatedly mentions the diversity in charter schools, most of the authors appear to divide the movement into two camps: those managed by for-profit companies, and those run by local communities. All of the critiques are focused on the former, and praise surrounds the latter. By the end of the book, the reader is likely to be convinced that this divide is the most perilous one surrounding charter schools. Although almost every author notes that the charter school movement is diverse and includes a number of very different schools, many of the authors still have a strong positive or negative bias toward such schools. Even with such strong voices, the book manages to provide insight into a number of different topics surrounding charter schools. In particular, Chapters 2 and 7 provide broad looks at where the movement started and where it is going. Published by Rethinking Schools in collaboration with the Center for Community Change, this book retains a liberal stance throughout, and shows how people with similar political stances can still have a variety of viewpoints on the issue of charter schools. As a former urban charter school teacher, I have often been asked whether I am “for or against” charter schools. This book shows how progressive educators can be simultaneously in favor of and concerned about the charter school movement. As the editors point out in the introduction, charter schools currently enroll more than a million students and are particularly influential in urban centers, making them an important part of current debates on education. Keeping the Promise is able to balance the diverse voices surrounding charter schools and provide insight into the possibilities and pitfalls of these schools. The goal, the authors note, is to engender “discussion about how best to bring quality education to all students” (p. x), something which the book does well in its multifaceted and multivocal account of the people and organizations involved in charter schools. About the Reviewer Marjorie Clark is a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at the George Washington University. She has taught in public schools abroad and in charter schools in the United States. Now out of the classroom, she continues to mentor new charter school teachers and is currently developing a pilot study to look at how these teachers perceive their schools and work environments. Her interests include teacher identity, teacher development and working conditions in charter schools.