Charter Schools ~ God Idea or Bad Idea ?
By : A Math Teacher !
By : An Anonymous Teacher ~ Who is Not Allowed any Political or Educational input in Education ? Something wrong with this ? You Bet`Cha !
Charter schools are primary:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_education_in_the_United_States or secondary http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary%20education_in_the%20United_States schools that receive public money.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_spending (and like other schools, may also receive private donations) but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donation in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter
[1] Charter schools are opened and attended by choice.
[2] While charter schools provide an alternative to other public schools, they are part of the public education system and are not allowed to charge tuition.< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuition_payments Where enrollment in a charter school is oversubscribed, admission is frequently allocated by lottery-based admissions systems. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery In a 2008 survey of charter schools, 59% of the schools reported that they had a waiting list, averaging 198 students.
[3] Some charter schools provide a curriculum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curriculum that specializes in a certain field — e.g., arts, mathematics, or vocational training. Others attempt to provide a better and more efficient general education than nearby public schools. Some charter schools are founded by teachers, parents, or activists who feel restricted by traditional public schools.
[4] State-authorized charters (schools not chartered by local school districts) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_district are often established by non-profit groups, universities, and some government entities.
[5] Additionally, school districts sometimes permit corporations to manage chains of charter schools < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_store . The schools themselves are still non-profit, in the same way that public schools may be managed by a for-profit corporation. It does not change the status of the school. In the United States, though the percentage of students educated in charter schools varies by school district, only in the New Orleans Public Schools system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans_Public_Schools are the majority of children educated within independent public charter schools.
Teachers Thoughts/Opinion:
[6] From my point of view, Charter-Schools are an attempt to override local authority. You will need to research this, but I believe that only the state of Tennessee is capable of granting permission for a charter school to operate, not the local school board. Local school boards are required to make accommodations, including spare classrooms, or buildings. Charter schools often occupy the same building as the schools they compete against. They were created in an attempt to help serve the under performing districts by allowing another party to directly compete against what may as well be a monopoly on local education (the local school district). They are required by law to be non-profit, but that doesn't mean a few individuals at the top aren't making some serious money ! These schools only show up where a need can be demonstrated (Jackson, Nashville, Memphis...) mostly in large urban areas, and are funded the same way a local district is. It creates a situation where two parties are directly competing for the same resources (students = money).
Editorial : What are your thoughts or opinions ? Thank You, Math Teacher.
I have an opinion, but, will hold it for another blog. I want your`s !
1 comment:
Charter schools typically have the freedom from state restrictions on curriculum and can fire teachers and principals at will. There is typically no tenure, which can be good and bad. It is good in that you can't get lazy and keep a job. It can be bad if you are politically unpopular but are a good teacher. In any event, Charter schools in many cases have very high academic standards vs. public schools, and some focus on the arts, technology, etc. Since I taught in a private school, I can tell you that the institution itself does not "make" better students. The parents and students must take responsibility in the process, and they must do their part in order to achieve success. Private schools can inflate their curriculum (offering "advanced" Chemistry or Physics, as an example) in order to entice enrollment, but this can be nothing more than hot air. There are plenty of public schools that do a great job of preparing our kids for life and college, so I wouldn't fall for the idea that you "can't" get a good education from a public system. I hope this helps.
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