[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ I agree that there should be a greater level of transparency to charter schools (though I am uncomfortable with there being too much simply because part of the goal is to free these schools of those constraints as long as they get the job done).

Personally I do think there is a long term benefit to excellent school design. Remember, this is not a new trend. The original waves of public schools that once propelled the US school system to the top of the world (obviously no longer the case) consisted of structures of grandiose architecture. One needs only look at the historical schools in our city to see they were built to inspire students. When you see fantastic structures like Schurz High School or Lane Tech, you realize that design really is an important aspect of an educational facility.

In fact, I'd argue we need much MORE emphasis on design across the board in our schools. People constantly underestimate the effect the built environment has on sociological issues, but you need look no further than failures such as the projects to realize that it has an extremely potent, real effect on behavior.