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Efforts to check charter school are not political

Ohio’s delegates to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland are, by and large, involved, intelligent, informed, influential people. They understand there are reasons enough to fight back against liberals in politics without worrying about bogeymen who do not exist.

They are being asked to do just that by a special-interest group, the Ohio Coalition for Quality Education. The coalition is an advocacy group for private charter schools.

Buckeye State RNC delegates reportedly were given material from the coalition arguing against a state plan to check student participation rates at an online charter, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow.

State officials are seeking ECOT records on how long students are logged in to the school’s systems. Preliminary indications were that most students averaged only about an hour of logged-in time a day. That is only about one-fifth of what the state considers adequate.

ECOT officials have refused to turn over the records and have sued the Ohio Department of Education over the request.

Convention delegates are being told by the coalition that the initiative against ECOT is part of a Democrat attack on school choice in general.

Nonsense. Ohio’s governor, John Kasich, is a pro-school choice Republican. Both houses of the General Assembly are dominated by the GOP.

What is afoot here is a long-overdue attempt to hold charter schools accountable. Public schools are required to provide the state with tons of data, including attendance reports. Requiring the same from taxpayer-funded charters is merely leveling the playing field – ensuring the private institutions are quality alternatives.

More than principle is involved. ECOT, with more than 15,000 students, rakes in about $106 million in state funding each year.

Ohioans are paying very well for the right to demand accountability.

They should do just that. rejecting claims such action is part of an imaginary vast, left-wing conspiracy.

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