Our talented cartoonist/artist/caricaturist/drawer in this opinion outfit, the estimable and enduring John Deering, drew a cartoon for this page that we enjoy reprinting above. Once again, the topic was Little Rock's schools and its demographics. How timely. How newsworthy. How appropriate.
The cartoon appeared in September of 1988.
For years now, for decades now, for generations now, kids have been leaving Little Rock's school district. But in just the last few years, many of them are coming back to Little Rock's public schools. Thanks to public charter schools, which are every bit as public as the neighborhood elementary school Gentle Reader may have attended years ago.
Little Rock's population hasn't grown much in the last decade. But the number of students in public schools in central Arkansas (traditional and charter) is actually up quite a bit in that same time frame. And the numbers show that Little Rock's traditional schools haven't lost nearly as many kids over the years as charters have picked up.
How'd that happen?
Well, certainly some home-schooled kids have decided to get back in school when charters become available. But those few can't explain these numbers. Surely most of the kids coming back into the public schools are coming from families who had them--or would have had them--in private schools otherwise. But now that charters are more and more available, they can get excellent educations without having to pay tuition.
Recent news shows this trend might continue.
The state has (for now) approved a new location for Little Rock Preparatory Academy's middle school. The new place was once a private school with all kinds of facilities. Now it'll be a public one. Not only that, but the new place will cost less. So more money can be spent on instruction, teachers, books, etc. (An upgrade at a lower cost. Try getting your smartphone company to do that.)
Imagine that. A private school morphing into a public school. You'd'n think our left-leaning friends--who have long advocated for public schools over private ones--would be dancing in the streets. Unfortunately, some are too flummoxed by the word "charter" to think straight.
All over, and not in just this state, charter schools are developing a track record of increasing enrollment in public schools and seem to be replacing many private ones. For the record, and so our friends on the left will remember, that's a good thing.
Now the state's Board of Education will make the final decision on Little Rock Prep's plans, probably next month. Here's hoping it does the right thing for the kids. And their families.
Editorial on 05/26/2016