Economics & Inequality Retirement Security Education Health Care Homeland Security Election Reform Media & Politics International Affairs TCF Project Sites: Donate to TCF Join our Listserv  Taking Note Home About TCF News Room Join our Listserv Secretary Duncan: Let Charter Schools Be Charter Schools     Email    Printer-Friendly Gordon MacInnes, The Century Foundation, 8/26/2009 This is the third commentary on Secretary Arne Duncan’s campaign to strengthen charter schools, including an expanded role as turn-around specialists for failed district schools.  It is a policy initiative that puts undeserved and unmanageable weight on still-fragile institutions, and deflects attention from more effective alternatives. In his June speech to the national charter school association, Secretary Duncan challenged the evolving charter networks like KIPP, Aspire, and Uncommon Schools to turn their attention to failed district schools, particularly those that make up the bottom 5%.  Some may wonder if this modest point is worthy of such expansive commentary, but ill-conceived policies have a way of gaining momentum. Continue Reading on the Taking Note Blog. Copyright 2010 The Century Foundation. Privacy Policy NY Office: 41 East 70th Street—New York, New York—10021—Phone:212-535-4441—212-879-9197 DC Office: 1333 H Street, NW—10th Floor— Washington, D.C. 20005— Phone: 202-387-0400— Fax: 202-483-9430