Ehrlich on Washington column, May 5, 2002

A £№ FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Rood, Suit* 304 lulh*rvill*, Morylood 2 1093 3 1 5 Cannon Hous* Offic* Building Washington, D.C 20515 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of May 5, 2002 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Charting A New Course in the Classroom Last week marked an important anniversary in America’s ongoing education reform efforts. We celebrated the 10lh Anniversary of the opening school year at the nation’s first charter school in Minnesota. Accordingly, a group of my colleagues and I cosponsored legislation honoring this anniversary and recognizing National Charter Schools Week, which is held annually at the end of April. As you may know, charter schools are public schools run by citizens or institutions under contracts with local governments giving them public funding, as well as greater independence from the education bureaucracy. In return, charter schools stress higher standards of achievement and greater parental involvement. For ten years, charter schools have welcomed parents into their child’s education environment, improved student performance, and provided thousands of kids a better chance to go to college and succeed in life. Currently, more than 2,000 charter schools are teaching 500,000 students in America. Two-thirds of these schools report waiting lists, underscoring their popularity among parents. Thirty-seven states across the nation boast public charter schools, including Pennsylvania, Virginia, and even the District of Columbia. Unfortunately, Maryland is not among them. Our state does not even have a statewide charter school law. Just as in recent years, the House of Delegates and State Senate failed to agree on compromise charter school legislation this year in Annapolis. Clearly, Maryland is woefully behind the rest of the nation with respect to charter schools. Our elected officials have not provided parents greater freedom to choose better-performing public schools. Fortunately, many dedicated Marylanders are scoring victories around the state on the local level. Parents and educators in Frederick founded the Monocacy Valley Montessori School