by David Safier

I’m doing my best to ferret out specifics of Arne Duncan’s educational directions concerning charter schools. General directions are easy. Specifics are harder to figure out.

I hear good things in a short interview the Republic’s Pat Kossan had with Duncan while he was in Arizona.

Shorter Duncan:

• We need good charters, not necessarily lots of them.
• Close bad charters.
• Charters need freedom with accountability.
• Charters for the gifted and the elite are OK, but what we most need are good charters for underserved communities and disadvantaged kids.

So, when the first $14 million of fed charter school money comes into Arizona, the bulk of it should go to schools serving the student populations in greatest educational need — either existing schools with proven track records or new schools with real plans and real promise.

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