Birmingham’s NPR affiliate, WBHM, 90.3 FM this week is taking a look at a controversial topic in education circles: charter schools. The series, which began airing Tuesday raises questions about the phenomenon as it plays out in several Southern jurisdictions, including Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Alabama.
The series starts in New Orleans where nearly all the city’s public schools have been converted into privately run, but publicly funded charter programs. The series airs during Morning Edition and in the afternoons during All Things Considered.
Sherrel Wheeler Stewart, managing editor for WBHM’s Southern Education Desk, explained how charter schools are changing how kids are taught.
Weld: Why are charter schools a big issue in Alabama?
SWS: Charter schools are a big issue in Alabama because they are new and because there is a general feeling that traditional public schools already are underfunded, and now more dollars will be stripped away.
Weld: What are the concerns about such schools?
SWS: There is a concern that there will be less accountability in charter schools in Alabama. Less accountability would mean there would be fewer eyes watching the academic outcomes of all children and how public dollars are used for their education.
Weld: Who sends their kids to charter schools? Who doesn’t?
SWS: We do not have charter schools in Alabama at this time. In other states, it appears that parents send their children to charters for a variety reasons instead of traditional public schools. Some seek a greater challenge for their children. Parents who are uncertain about the stability of charters tend to have reservations about sending their children there.
Weld: Where are the charter schools located?
SWS: Reporters throughout the South have worked on this and they have visited schools in Mississippi, Florida, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Weld: Who can listeners expect to hear from in your series?
SWS: This is public radio, so we focus on providing solid information, punctuated with actual voices of those who are impacted by the news. Media professionals narrate the stories, but the people make the information real.
For more information or to listen to the first part of the Charter Schools series, visit news.wbhm.org/feature/2015/charter-schools-lessons-for-new-orleans/