Re "Utah charter schools under new performance scrutiny" (Tribune, May 17):
Charter schools maintain a sacred trust. In exchange for receiving public dollars, they care for and educate children.
The Utah State Charter School Board maintains a trust, too. It holds charter schools responsible for the quality of education they provide, for managing taxpayer dollars and for complying with laws that protect the public's interests.
I commend the board for implementing new performance standards to ensure that Utah's 81 charter schools maintain their trust with students, parents and taxpayers. It is a bold move on behalf of Utah's 50,785 charter school students, and it is a necessary step to ensure that every charter school is a great school.
By setting expectations and holding charters to those standards, the board is doing its part to ensure that every child in Utah has access to high-quality public school options.
Greg Richmond President, National Association of Charter School Authorizers
Chicago