Today's lesson: charters do not outperform unionized schools

The teachers' strike was barely over when a Tribune editorial hit the streets ripping unionized schools and lauding nonunion charters..."Fuentes isn't a traditional Chicago public school, but part of the United Neighborhood Organization network of charter schools, run under different rules without union teachers," the editorial reads. Students there "outperform students in traditional Chicago public schools."

That September 19 assault came a day after Bruce Rauner, a mayoral ally and charter funder, declared war on unionized teachers...By the end of the week Mayor Emanuel himself had rushed off to make sure everyone saw him show up at the opening of UNO (charter school's) new Galewood campus...

Look, charterheads, I get it. You hate the teachers' union, if only because it funds rival political campaigns. But if you want to fight the union, at least use the facts. And the central fact is this: the nonunion charters are not outperforming the unionized schools. No, it's just the other way around.

There are 541 elementary schools in Chicago. Based on the composite ISAT scores for 2011—the last full set available—none of the top ten are charters. None of the top 20, 30, or 40 either. In fact, you've got to go to 41 to find a charter. Take a bow, CICS Irving Park!

Most of the 49 charters on the list are clustered near the great middle, alongside most of their unionized neighborhood schools. The top scorers are public schools with unionized teachers who are members of the Chicago Teachers Union. That's the one whose president, Karen Lewis, somehow brainwashed her easily duped members into thinking they wouldn't rather work at a charter school....

The highest ranking UNO campus, Marquez, came in at 99. UNO's Fuentes campus—the one the Tribune highlighted—ranks 128. That's two positions behind Linne, the unionized public school in the neighborhood. I hope it's not too late for the Tribune to rewrite that editorial...If I wanted to be a jerk, I'd say that the charter school teachers are to their unionized counterparts what the NFL's replacement refs are to the real things—pawns being used in a larger game.

http://m.chicagoreader.com/chicago/chicagos-unionized-public-schools-outperform-charter-schools/Content?oid=7559748&storyPage=1