This article out of New Orleans is about several selective charter schools that admit only those students that pass entrance tests or navigate complicated admissions processes. This is a big no-no with charter supporters. According to the piece:
Todd Ziebarth, the senior policy analyst at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, said he worries that having even some charter schools with competitive admissions in New Orleans sends the message to the community that charter schools are elitist.
But what are the convincing educational arguments against allowing charter schools to establish admissions policies? It's one thing to worry about politics and perception, but it's another thing to worry about what educational structures work best for kids. Why not have a tiered system of charter schools that caters to students at different levels of academic ability? Lots of kids, for example, don't need the paternalism of KIPP or SEED; lots of others do.