School closures should never be undertaken lightly, be they district or charter schools. Academic troubles, a fall in enrollment, economic problems, and a myriad of other issues can push the issue to the forefront. Under such times of duress, policymakers and education officials are forced to ask a difficult question: Does closing a school cause more harm than good, especially for students?
Report Co-Author, Stéphane Lavertu
Today, Fordham released a new study called School Closures and Student Achievement that seeks to answer this very question. At a breakfast event on April 28th that attracted around fifty Ohio education leaders, the report’s co-author, Dr. Stéphane Lavertu, presented a summary of the study’s findings. These findings showed that three years after closure, displaced students typically make significant academic gains.
After Dr. Lavertu’s presentation, Chad moderated a panel of policymakers and practitioners who discussed the findings and policy implications. The panel consisted of: the Honorable Nan Whaley, Mayor of Dayton; Tracie Craft, Deputy Director of Advocacy, Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO); Stephanie Groce, former member Columbus City Schools Board of Education; Piet van Lier, Director of School Quality, Policy, and Communications, Cleveland Transformation Alliance; and Dr. Deven Carlson, co-author of Fordham’s School Closures and Student Achievement.
From Left to Right: Chad Aldis, Stephanie Groce, Piet van Lier, Dr. Deven Carlson, The Honorable Nan Whaley, and Tracie Craft
From their varied vantage points, panelists agreed that while closures are difficult and often unpopular, there is a clear educational benefit, especially if closures are done thoughtfully and with open communication to parents. This means that community input and involvement prior to and during the process of closure is critical. Finally, panelists emphasized that closing schools isn’t a silver bullet, and that closures must be accompanied by efforts to raise the number of high quality seats in both district and charter schools.
The Honorable Nan Whaley and Tracie Craft
