Andy Overstreet: Charters must face scrutiny | Raleigh News & Observer

Regarding the Oct. 15 news article “ Public charters boost business”: Thanks to The N&O for the enlightening expose on profit-based charter schools in North Carolina.

It is quite obvious that the State Board of Education and the state legislature have no interest in assuring financial oversight of these schools. Failing grades to both and also to Sen. Phil Berger for his political interference to overturn the Charter Advisory Board’s decision to fail a charter application from profiteer Baker Mitchell.

The standard for the use of taxpayer money in this country is “if you take the public’s dollars, then you must subject yourself to public scrutiny.” This axiom applies at any level of government and for any institution, management company or vendor.

Should the for-profit management companies that run public charters or other charter schools find this transparency distasteful, they should give up use of the public funds perhaps and become what their behavior suggests – private schools. What are they so intent on hiding?

Andy Overstreet

Raleigh