HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
OP EDITORIAL
Charter Schools Have Contributed to Education Equality and Saved Lives
F
low-income students than tradi-
those self-destructive behaviors
signed to public schools, mired in
tional schools. And they’ve been
don’t seem to flourish in schools
a defeatist vision of low-expecta-
doing that for nearly three decades.
rooted in a vision of achieving
tions, victimhood and resignation.
In 1992, City Academy in St.
excellence and writing a legacy of
and success.
first publicly funded, privately run
Tyal Prince agrees. After leav-
kind of non-productive, non-learn-
charter school. Its founders set out
ing his district school disappointed
ing environment. They deserve
to pioneer a new way of teach-
and disillusioned, Prince attend-
options—and charter schools have
ing students who encountered the
ed Lincoln Park Performing Arts
proven to be an attractive and pro-
harsh impact of drug abuse, jail, or
Charter School. He went on to
ductive option.
even homelessness.
graduate from the University of
Just ask Lenny McAllister, a
Pittsburgh. Today, he is employed
champion for education equality
Civil War signaled that those dark
Out of desolation, the founders of City Academy created opportu-
by DataBank and is responsible for
and civil rights, now serving as
ages were over, but education
nities for their students. The small
multi-million dollar contracts with
CEO of the Pennsylvania Coali-
equality was still little more than
school’s rigorous instruction and
businesses for cloud computing
tion of Public Charter Schools.
a dream.
caring teachers have gone on to
and other technology services.
The coalition encompasses well
By Angela Sailor or African Americans, learning and knowledge has been—and continues
to be—the drumline of survival Enslaved black families knew this. It’s why they risked severe punishment by breaking laws that forbid them learning how to read and write. The opening of black colleges and universities after the
Harlem Community Newspapers | February 25. 2021
Children, no matter where they live, should not be relegated to that
purpose.
But much progress has been
inspire education activists nation-
Prince has also become a com-
over 100 brick-and-mortar and
made, albeit slowly and in stages.
wide to follow its example. Today,
munity leader, working with the
cyber charter schools throughout
It has come thanks to a series of
there are 7,200 charter schools in
local Big Brothers Big Sisters pro-
the Keystone State. Of the 169,000
landmark US. court cases relat-
44 states and Washington, D.C.
gram and the Boys & Girls Club
students enrolled in those schools
ed to equality of opportunity in
These schools are not only giv-
of Western Pennsylvania. Most
this year, roughly 70% are students
K-12 education as well as self-help
ing kids an education. In many cas-
importantly, he celebrates life as
of color and approximately two-
movements like the citizenship
es, they are literally saving lives.
a family man and a first-time dad.
thirds are eligible for the federal
schools of the 1950s, the freedom
For example, education analyst
Prince attributes his success to
schools of the ‘60s, on through to
Corey A. DeAngelis reports that
Lincoln Park. “Going to a charter
McAllister sees charter schools
today’s charter schools.
winning a lottery to attend a char-
school saved my life,” he says.
as “school choice within public ed-
charter
ter school in New York City re-
“That’s why I’m trying to make
ucation,” where parents, regardless
duced the likelihood of incarcer-
sure that I can get my little broth-
of their economic circumstances,
be. Though not exclusively Af-
ation for male students by 100%.
er into a charter school for high
are afforded “self-determination in
rican American, charter schools
The study also found that female
school as well.”
education, the same self-determi-
to
see
nation that we celebrate each 4th
have been tremendously success-
charter school students were 59%
But what Prince found at
ful in helping minority students
less likely to experience teen preg-
Lincoln Park is not available to
of July in our Declaration of Inde-
get a quality education. According
nancy.
millions of his African American
pendence.”
sisters—especial-
Angela Sailor is a vice pres-
daily preaching “stay out of jail
ly those in our largest cities. Too
ident at the Washington, D.C.-
and avoid teen pregnancy.” But
often, they find themselves con-
based Heritage Foundation.
to the National Center for Educa-
It’s not that these schools are
tion Statistics, these schools enroll higher percentages of minority and
brothers
and
Vol. 26, No 8 February 25, 2021
free-and-reduced lunch program.
schools in that list? You shouldn’t
Surprised
6
Paul, Minn., became the nation’s
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