SCHOOL CHIEFS QUESTION CHARTERS

Members of the Southeast Missouri Superintendents Association voiced concerns over establishment of charter schools during a meeting at Southeast Missouri State University Friday.

Only about 20 area superintendents attended the meeting to hear state lawmakers and university officials express views on creation and regulation of charter schools. School administrators questioned whether the local university should actively award charters.

Charter schools are public schools that operate separately from public school districts and receive some state funding. They can't pick and choose students and must be sponsored by a school district or university. State law allows charter schools to operate only in the St. Louis and Kansas City school districts.

Kennett schools Superintendent George Byers sad he didn't understand why state lawmakers would want to give money to charter schools without requiring them to meet at least the same regulations public schools must meet regarding achievement, teacher certification and other issues.

Byers said public school districts spend years preparing for the Missouri School Improvement Program review, a comprehensive evaluation performed by state teams to determine a school district's accreditation. Charter schools should be similarly regulated, he said.

"I guess I really resent that a charter school can have 20 to 25 percent of their teachers uncertified, and I have to bust my tail and can only have 5 percent," said Byers. "It's not fair for us to have to go through that and then you give the money to charter schools without their having to meet those obligations."

State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, and state Sen. Jerry Howard, D-Dexter, fielded questions about their views on charter schools.

Kinder told participants he believed charter schools could be the answer to a failing public school system in the state's urban districts. The children of St. Louis and Kansas City need an alternative to schooling offered in their districts, he said.

"The cold shower of the charter school system is to be their wake-up call," Kinder said. "This is a way to get back to the neighborhood schools and bring young families back into the city. We've got to try this."

Howard said change is needed in urban school districts, but he was unsure if charter schools were the best option. He voiced concern over Southeast Missouri's educational problems and pledged to meet with administrators and state education officials to determine how to improve conditions for area school districts.

"Public schools deal with all educational problems without the luxury of picking and choosing," Howard said. "I think we need to have a laboratory that meshes better with our system."

Kinder has urged Southeast to sponsor a charter school in St. Louis, which is part of the university's regional service area. University President Dr. Ken Dobbins defended the university's consideration of the Lift for Life charter school application received last month. The application is being evaluated by a seven-member team that will make a recommendation to the Board of Regents within 60 days.

Dobbins said he recognized the concern that the university might become involved in granting charters and forget its need to serve educational needs in Southeast Missouri. However, the university's establishment of higher education centers throughout the Bootheel should demonstrate its commitment to providing quality service throughout its service area, he said.

"I think that we have been able to air some issues that have been festering," he said. "It's kind of a survival issue. We have statutory obligations, but it's also important to service our entire educational region, which includes the city of St. Louis."