Last week, the Christie administration announced that it would approve just one new charter school in the latest round of applications, while placing seven existing ones on probation and closing two others.

Then came word that the state approved four more charter schools to expand, while a hybrid model of charters known as a “renaissance school” in the state-run Camden district was taking the fast track to expansion there as well.

With all of this activity, and the debate over the value of these schools hardly waning…