He sees the steady growth of these alternative taxpayer-funded schools that operate outside the traditional districts as a symptom of an under-supported system. And if elected, he'd set a goal of phasing them out.
"My personal belief is if we improve K-12 education we don't need charter schools," Weinholtz told The Salt Lake Tribune's editorial board recently. "To me charter schools are a reflection of our current Legislature's and governor's belief that they would like to privatize everything and they just generally don't believe in public education.
Utah now has 110 charter schools that educate roughly 74,000 students. Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican who polls say has a big lead in his quest for re-election, is among the supporters of charter schools. Many charters boast of educational specialties or smaller class sizes, and Herbert argues their primary value is giving parents additional options.
"Governor Herbert believes that Utah parents should be the ones deciding this issue," said Marty Carpenter, the governor's campaign manager. "If a charter school isn't working, parents can vote with their feet and choose a new school. The governor believes that Utah parents need more choice for their children, not less."
