Charter school battle

     Nevada's effort to implement a modest charter school bill -- which already includes restrictive measures as a sop to the enemies of true educational reform -- will likely hit a roadblock in the Assembly.
      The Nevada Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 220 on Thursday. The legislation, which would allow the formation of up to 25 charter schools in the state -- but no more than 12 in any one district -- now goes to the Assembly.
      Charter schools, in theory, are public schools that operate independently of the district bureaucracy. By allowing them such freedom, supporters believe the schools can offer children innovative learning alternatives. They are a poor sister to more substantive reform, such as school choice, but they may offer the opportunity for humble improvement.
      The Nevada bill includes some good provisions -- anyone can start a charter school, and the officers of the school have control over personnel decisions -- but it is weighted to favor the transformation of existing public schools and to induce union participation.
      Now comes word that the Assembly is likely to dump more water on the bill by reducing the number of charter schools allowed. Assembly Education Committee Chairman Wendell Williams, who delights in running interference for the educational bureaucracy, has expressed a desire to make the bill more restrictive.
      Further diluting the bill -- whether by cutting the number of schools allowed or some other means -- will neuter this legislation. The educational establishment, of course, understands that. Others should be aware: If Nevada truly hopes to join the more than two dozen states experimenting with charter schools, the Assembly should keep its hands off SB220.