Another charter school – privately owned operations that offer parents and students an alternative to the traditional public school – took a hit this week proving the point that a good idea can be a little ahead of its time.

Wednesday, May 03, 2000

Another charter school – privately owned operations that offer parents and students an alternative to the traditional public school – took a hit this week proving the point that a good idea can be a little ahead of its time.

The second Cleveland area school is facing eviction for its failure to maintain the property it is using – a Catholic school building.

Another school faced eviction earlier for withholding of rent.

The idea behind the charter schools is to encourage a little competition in the public education arena, offering parents and students education options.

The idea isn’t a terrible one – especially in areas where satellite schools have actually filled a need for specialized programs.

But the charter schools’ problems in Cleveland suggest that maybe just anyone shouldn’t run a school.

Although the applications to start programs are scrutinized, the reality is that to run a school properly takes more than just ambition and a good plan. Maybe providing a first-rate education, proper supervision as well as meeting the other more material needs of a school are tasks that are a little bit harder than they look.

Education options are an intriguing concept for the future, but before the state sets up too many more charter schools there needs to be a whole lot more planning, scrutinizing and otherwise making sure that a good idea does not go horribly wrong.