Reading this Wall Street Journal editorial about Florida Governor Charlie Crist's unwillingness to defend the state's alternative charter authorizer, which was created under Jeb Bush but recently declared unconstitutional, I couldn't help but wish Bush were still governor. As the Journal explains:
The state had 30 days to appeal to the Florida Supreme Court but let the deadline pass last week. The upshot is that only local school boards will be able to authorize charter schools, creating a fox-in-the-hen-house situation in which the same institutions that most oppose school choice will be in a position to block its expansion.
And the implications could extend beyond Florida:
School choice opponents will now chalk up a win in Florida, but the bigger fear is that they will be emboldened to challenge alternative authorizers in other states. In Ohio, nonprofits can authorize charter schools. In Indiana, so can mayors. In California, county offices of education as well as the state board of education are designated as charter authorizers. Nationwide, states are moving away from the district-only authorizer model.
We've long argued that charters need authorizers other than school districts. I hope someone will take up this fight in Florida--and now that Jeb Bush is committed to the think-tank life, perhaps it's a job for his Foundation for Excellence in Education.
