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Last week, the D.C.-based Center for Education Reform, a national nonprofit advocating school choice, released Charter Schools: A Progress Report Part III—The Ripple Effect. Given the empirical evidence from debacles at Marcus Garvey, Young Technocrats Math and Science, and the Washington Math Science Technology public charter schools, D.C.’s charter school tide seems to be heading out rather than in. In a backhanded sort of way, that fact was reflected even in the charter-friendly report: The center offered anecdotal evidence of charter school momentum in states such as Arizona, California, and Florida, but the District of Columbia summary offered no specific successes. Instead, it read like a pep rally for D.C. public schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman. “Ackerman installed an academic plan that includes new learning standards for students, has begun to improve teaching skills, and offer more staff responsibilities,” the report noted. And we thought the charter school movement was all about autonomy from the school system bureaucracy.