Charter Schools and Special Ed: A Neocolonial Nightmare

Ah, dear readers, gather ‘round for another thrilling tale from the world of charter schools, where the dreams of Wall Street tycoons come to life and the needs of vulnerable children go to die. Today’s installment comes courtesy of our friends at The 74, that bastion of “independent” journalism generously funded by none other than the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. How fortunate we are to have such unbiased reporting on education!

The latest gem to grace our screens is a report claiming - hold onto your hats, folks - that charter schools are failing students with disabilities. Well, knock me down with a feather! Who could have possibly seen this coming? Certainly not the bright sparks at the Center for Learner Equity, who spent two whole years reaching this earth-shattering conclusion.

Now, let’s frame this debacle through the lens of the Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF), shall we? On one side, we have the powerful - the charter school corporations, their billionaire backers, and the neoliberal ideology they champion. On the other, we have the threatened - students with disabilities, their families, and the very concept of public education.

The message couldn’t be clearer: “If you’re not profitable, you’re not welcome.” The meaning? In this brave new world of education-for-profit, children with IEPs are simply collateral damage on the road to quarterly growth targets.

But wait! Our intrepid researchers are “mystified” by their findings. They “hoped to find more states taking action, more authorizers and nonprofits” addressing this issue. Oh, you poor, naive souls. Allow me, a mere special education teacher and non-verbal autistic individual, to illuminate the situation for you.

This isn’t a bug in the system, my friends. It’s a feature. A glorious, profit-maximising feature of the neoliberal charter school model. Why waste money on expensive special education services when you can simply... not? After all, shareholders need their dividends, and CEO bonuses don’t pay for themselves!

The article notes that charter schools have “delivered on the promise of better outcomes for marginalized children” - just not those pesky ones with IEPs. How convenient that the most expensive students to educate are the ones falling through the cracks. I’m sure it’s purely coincidental.

But fear not! The researchers have recommendations. Standards should be built in “at every stage of a charter school’s life.” Because if there’s one thing we know about charter schools, it’s how enthusiastically they embrace regulation and oversight. I’m sure they'll get right on that, just as soon as they finish counting their profits.

Let’s not forget the political context, shall we? With the specter of Project 2025 looming on the horizon, promising to gut the Department of Education and fulfill every fever dream of the charter school lobby, the future looks bright indeed. For some, at least.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Surely this is all just a misunderstanding! Surely these well-meaning charter schools simply need more guidance, more support, more funding!” Oh, you sweet summer children. This is neoliberalism in action, my dears. This is the free market working exactly as intended.

Remember, in the grand neocolonial project of which charter schools are but a small part, not everyone gets a seat at the table. Some must be sacrificed for the greater good of corporate profits and shareholder value. And who better to sacrifice than those troublesome students with IEPs?

So, the next time you hear about the wonders of school choice and the miracles of charter schools, remember this report. Remember the students left behind, the public purse looted, the free public school undermined. Remember that in the grand chess game of neoliberal education reform, students with disabilities are merely pawns to be sacrificed.

But don’t worry, I’m sure it’s all for the best. After all, the invisible hand of the market knows what it’s doing, right? And if a few children with special needs get crushed in its grip, well, that’s just the price of progress.

As such, dear readers, let us raise a glass to the charter school movement. May it continue to innovate new ways to avoid educating our most vulnerable students whilst siphoning off public funds. Truly, they are the heroes we deserve in these trying times.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my classroom. These students won't teach themselves - although I’m sure there’s a charter school somewhere working on an app for that.