AFT on Stanford University’s CREDO Study of For-Profit Charter Schools

WASHINGTON—Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes study, finding that students attending for-profit charter schools have significantly lower academic gains than those attending non-profit charters:

“When you let the market control education, profit wins and children lose. It’s what we’ve seen with vouchers, and this CREDO study confirms that for-profit charter and virtual schools serve the interests of corporations—the CEOs, the shareholders, the owners and those seeking to profit off education. That is fundamentally different from creating opportunity for children, regardless of their needs. Public dollars need to be devoted to public education that is accountable, transparent, and ensures equity for all children.

“This study is consistent with the poor performance of for-profit charters Education Secretary Betsy DeVos pushed in Michigan. Even the CREDO approach, which exaggerates the effects, correctly identified the worst performers. It’s just more evidence that DeVos is pushing an agenda that is fueled by ideology rather than facts and what works for kids.”