Based on an interview by R. Craig Sautter
Milwaukee's superintendent is known as an innovator in touch with his urban school system. He has been an active proponent of Charter Schools, but has waited for the Wisconsin legislature to take action before granting any charters to schools in his district.
"Last year, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors took an official position supporting Charter Schools," Fuller says. "We put it in the legislative package that we took to the state last year because we felt that we needed statutory authority to develop Charter Schools. This year, the governor has included a provision for Charter Schools in his budget and we support his effort.
"I believe that Charter Schools give us a way to be innovative within the public school rubric. They give us a way to move forward on a new notion of a system of public schools. I think it is an innovation worth trying.
"Charters would present a wide variety of opportunities. My hope is that teachers, community groups, and other sponsors would help develop Charter Schools in Milwaukee. I visualize teachers coming forward with some new ideas and approaches. I visualize the possibility of Charter Schools-within-schools. Charter Schools are another way to create models out here that will work for the benefit of the kids.
"Charters give teachers an opportunity to create new models without being bogged down by some of the restraints that are already in existence. While people in the current schools are trying to be innovative, they keep running into barriers. Some are contractual. Some are state mandates. Some are board policies and procedures.
"Superintendents have some authority to move these barriers, but not nearly the authority that people believe we have on the playing field on which we are operating.
"The issue is how much flexibility will teachers have. To me, anything that we can put into motion to provide more flexibility, so different models are created that benefit kids, is worth pursuing.
"I think that, ultimately, those of us who work in public school systems had better get the message that because we exist today doesn't mean we will exist tomorrow.
"To sum up, the value of Charter Schools is that it allows for innovation within the control of the elected public school board. If people believe in public schools and they want to maintain a public school system, then they better understand that the old ways of doing things are not enough."
Posted on March 6, 1995
URL: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/go/93-2URBN.HTM