[Charter schools must be boondoggles. They're failing here and some have already lost their charters.]

By Glenn Drohan, Berkshire Eagle Staff

NORTH ADAMS -- Supporters of the proposed Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter School say they were frustrated by last week's "information session," a two-hour meeting that was so dominated by opponents that parents had little time to ask questions.

"It was hard to get a word in edgewise," said Simeon Stolzberg, lead proponent for the school. "We were hoping people would direct questions; instead, they were giving speeches, which we've all heard before."

Stolzberg said he found it interesting that school officials have consistently tried to defend local programs, when statistics clearly indicate a dire need for improvement.

"They're acting like nothing is wrong, when three out of five schools are under-performing," he said. "They talk about money all the time, but the fact is the state aid had doubled in the last 10 years. They keep talking about their plans, but what about results? A charter school is judged by results, and if it doesn't perform, it's closed."

Stolzberg and a group of "founding trustees," including Charles Toomajian Jr., Diana Walczak, Charles Stevenson, Pamela Johnson and Molly Polk, hope to open the regional school in the fall of 2004, pending approval by the state Board of Education next month. It would start with 40 students each in Grades 6 and 9 in its first year and grow to a maximum enrollment of 308 in Grades 6 through 12 by 2008.

Opponents have charged that the school would draw $2 million or more in state aid from local school districts and would duplicate many programs already offered. more - http://www.berkshireeagle.com/Stories/0,1413,101%257E7514%257E1106877,00.html

-- Anonymous, January 13, 2003