In May 2015, theAkron Beacon Journal published the results of an investigation with this as the first paragraph: “No sector — not local governments, school districts, court systems, public universities or hospitals — misspends tax dollars like charter schools in Ohio.” Shortly after that, the Plain Dealer ran a story this year that started like this:

Ohio, the charter school world is making fun of you.

Ohio’s $1 billion charter school system was the butt of jokes at a conference for reporters on school choice in Denver late last week, as well as the target of sharp criticism of charter school failures across the state.

The shots came from expected critics like teachers unions, but also from pro-charter voices…

A recent study by a voucher-supporting think tank found that Ohio students attending private schools with vouchers performed worse on standardized tests than similar students who stayed in public schools.