Should Charter Schools Enroll More Special Education Students: Education Next Talks with Robin J. Lake, Gary Miron, and Pedro A. Noguera

Overview & Synopsis

Should charter schools be required to enroll students labeled special needs at the same rate as local school districts, that is, educate their "fair share"? Or is it reasonable for a charter school to counsel special education students to go elsewhere, if another school would be a better fit? If "fair share" requirements are not appropriate, what is? Can any school be expected to meet every need of every child? Exploring these questions are Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington ("The Key is Innovation, Not Regulation"); Gary Miron, professor in the College of Education at Western Michigan University ("Charters Should Be Expected to Serve All Kinds of Students"); and Pedro Noguera, professor of education at New York University ("School Quality Matters Most, Whether District or Charter").