{"id":2401,"date":"2021-06-14T16:51:32","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T16:51:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edhype.com\/?p=2401"},"modified":"2021-06-14T16:51:33","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T16:51:33","slug":"are-public-education-monopolies-strangling-online-charter-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edhype.com\/are-public-education-monopolies-strangling-online-charter-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Public Education Monopolies Strangling Online Charter Schools?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

School choice is suffering in California, and a district public school monopoly could be the culprit. Whether parents realize it or not, public school monopolies threaten educational quality, K-12 costs, and school choice. Worse yet, they snuff out the learning options that are available to your child. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we examine whether there\u2019s a monopoly stifling online charter schools and where California public education is headed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Brief Look at Monopolies in the U.S.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Need a refresher on monopolies in the U.S.? Some of the most common monopoly cases<\/a> popped into the spotlight in the late 1800s. You may remember learning about massive companies, such as Standard Oil Company, Andrew Carnegie\u2019s Steel Company, and the American Tobacco Company in history class. Ultimately, these businesses grew so big that they gained full control of their respective markets. That meant they were able to keep prices of oil, steel, and tobacco high with little consequence. Consumers had no choice but to pay what the companies asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response, the government enacted the Sherman Antitrust Act<\/a> to regulate monopolies that put consumers in an unfair situation. These antitrust laws are still in motion, with high-profile cases recently hitting the likes of Google and Facebook<\/a>. In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission (FTC<\/a>) is in charge of regulating businesses and preventing monopolies from holding back free markets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do Monopolies Hurt Consumers, Employees, and Education?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At their core, monopolies limit choice and eliminate competition. As a result, the entity in power has little incentive to improve in quality or reduce costs. In the case of public education, a district public school monopoly is a scary idea for parents who care about their student\u2019s education. If public schools are unfairly stacking the deck against competition, there will be no market incentive to lower costs and improve the quality of education they offer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a quick guide to what you can expect from online school. >><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do Traditional District Public Schools Have a Monopoly on Public Education in California? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How real is the public education monopoly in California? It appears that traditional district public schools<\/a> have a stranglehold on public education power … at least when it comes to setting up rules. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legislation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In California, district schools are using laws to increase power and stop charter school momentum. For instance, with online learning skyrocketing in popularity, California recently passed legislation<\/a> that prohibits any new charter schools that offer nonclassroom-based (NCB) instruction from starting up through January 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In another example, California\u2019s recent AB 1507 charter school legislation<\/a> places additional restrictions on public charter schools, including a performance-based renewal process and new charter school teacher credential requirements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Union Influence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s worse, powerful public school unions throughout the state are displaying strong bias against public charter schools<\/a>. And some of the biggest unions are actively working to damage charter schools outright. According to The Sacramento Bee<\/a>, California\u2019s biggest teachers union spent more than $1 million per month, from April to August of 2019, to push lawmakers to pass anti-charter school bills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fraud Claims<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When pressed, lawmakers defend some recent charter school restrictions, such as the California Bill AB 1316<\/a>, by citing a high-profile charter fraud case where a corrupt charter school organization pocketed public funding. However, this excuse exposes a double standard within the current lawmaking process. There have been plenty of fraud cases and misuse in traditional district public schools. Yet, those cases don\u2019t seem to be inspiring legislation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few examples of mismanagement that has taken place in traditional public schools recently:<\/p>\n\n\n\n