The elite charter schools in my state just game the system. They enroll a large number of students at an early age, and weed the low performing students out thr

The elite charter schools in my state just game the system. They enroll a large number of students at an early age, and weed the low performing students out through attrition. Then, they don’t replace those students. Each grade gets smaller and smaller, and more elite. By 12th grade, their graduates are equivalent to the top 10% of a normal high school, with similar test scores. It looks like these charter schools (which don’t restrict who can attend) are producing Ivy League capable graduates, while public schools are producing ditch diggers. In addition, parents are expected to “tip” the teachers each semester, resulting in significantly higher income for the teachers. The profit goes to the for-profit school administrators. Then, the “smaller government” state Governor/legislature will highlight these charter schools as an example of why there should be more charter schools and defund public education. Any of the other charter schools in the state, not employing these tactics, produce gains on par with public schools. Although it’s great for the students who graduate from the elite charters, it’s unscalable.