Not all charter schools are created equal, though. Some charter schools truly are driving real reform with student-centered policies. However, these are not the norm. Most charters are big business-run factories with a driving purpose to lower costs and increase profits no matter what that does to the widgets … I mean students, they produce.

For instance, a 2004 study done by the Department of Education found that charter schools “are less likely than traditional public schools to employ teachers meeting state certification standards.” A national evaluation by Stanford University found that 83 percent of charter schools perform worse than public schools.

And it only gets worse for cyber charter schools. Fewer than 20 percent of Pennsylvania’s cyber charters meet national standards for reading and math known as AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress).

But the cost is so low; the profits so high! Provide a kid with a computer and software and you’re done. Maybe you have a handful of actual living, breathing teachers on staff to provide instruction via a chat room. Compare those costs with that of public schools. Just the cost of running an actual brick-and-mortar building is more.

For the rest of the article, go to T.E.A.C.H. Co-Founder Takes on Corbett’s Budget