Educating students is expensive. Per student spending in New York City ranges somewhere between $12,000 and $22,000 each year depending on the needs of the student. There are 1.1 million students in the system. If we combine local, state, and federal spending, education spending is about equivalent to what we spend on national defense. 

So what are we getting in return? The NYC high school graduation rate hovers somewhere around 60. Test scores show that our students are significantly underperforming compared to peer countries. Worst of all, our schools are leaving behind low income and minority students to where we now have a significant achievement gap between poor and minority students and wealthier white students. 

The average black student in 12th grade is performing about where the average white student is performing in 8th grade. In a recent study of the achievement gap, McKinsey estimated that with the current achievement gap, our economy is basically functioning in a sustained and invisible recession. Now let’s take a look at what is going on in high achieving charter schools. They are funded with the same public dollars as failing public schools, but are independently run. They create their own labor contracts, control curriculum, and are accountable to the state based on how well their students perform on state tests. Inside you’ll notice that almost all of the students are black and Hispanic. You would probably notice a tremendous amount of order and pride. 

Because students come in so far behind, their school days are longer and they go to school on most Saturdays as well. The theory is the harder you work, the better you will perform. You will not hear excuses blaming low achievement on parents, poverty, or the students themselves. Teachers are constantly measuring how students are doing and adapting their instruction to get the students to where they need to be. Test scores are showing that great charter schools are actually closing the achievement gap. 

At Uncommon Schools, a charter school network in NY and NJ, 98 of its students passed the NYS math exam. At KIPP Academy which operates schools across the country, over 85 of its students will go onto college compared to a rate of 20 for average low income students. So why not make all public schools charter schools? It is not a bad idea, but politically unlikely. Currently about 15 of public school students are served by charter schools nationally. Charter schools greatest value is as “proof points”. They are showing what is possible in education right now and piloting innovations like the better use of student data and longer school days which are now being integrated by larger school systems across the country. 

How can Columbia Business School students help? 

1. Visit a school. It will say everything far better than this article. 

2. Seek out the opportunity to sit on a charter school board or junior board. 

3. Volunteer you time tutoring students or taking on small consulting projects to help support the operations of charter schools. 

4. Give money: As charter schools grow, they are increasingly in need of funds particularly to support large capital growth projects. Three great charter school networks to explore: www.kipp.org www.achievementfirst.org www.uncommonschools.org

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