Public vs. Charter Schools Essay - 2477 Words

Public Schools vs. Charter Schools The first day of school is a rite of passage for most children. The step from home or day care to school is huge: they are a big kid now. However, sometimes the local Public School, especially in rural or economically challenged areas, can be an uncertain, questionable and scary place, and yet parents are expected to entrust them with their five or six year old child. Some years ago, when my daughter was ready to enter school, she and I had just such an experience, and we began to seriously search for an alternative school for her to attend. What we discovered was a Charter School: a possible solution for parents, enabling them to take more control of their child’s education. For my daughter and†¦show more content†¦According to Atila Abdulkadiroglu, many have adopted a â€Å"No Excuses† policy which is generally characterized by smaller sized classrooms, frequent testing, longer school days and more school days in the year, selective teacher hiring, st rong student work ethic, and include an increased emphasis on discipline (Abdulkadiroglu 699-700). Charter Schools also expect a certain amount of parent participation: either in-classroom assistance, being an active component in the Parent-Teacher Organization, volunteering assistance with fund-raising activities, or wherever else the school may have need. Therefore, sending a child to a Charter School usually requires a significant investment of time and effort from the parents as well: for example, the school may not be able to provide transportation, hot lunches (meaning lunch must be packed every day), and whatever the school may expect in parent participation. Entrance into many of these acclaimed Charter Schools is not always that easy. There are frequently many, many students applying for just a few spots available. These schools typically employ a lottery system which gives each student an equal chance; however, there are just not enough spots available for all the s tudents who wish to attend—someone always loses. In comparison, Public Schools are restricted by a massive hierarchy of educational bureaucracy: they must answer toShow MoreRelatedCharter School Vs. Public Schools974 Words   |  4 PagesSuccess Why choose to go to Charter School rather than public school? Charter schools are public school of choice, meaning families choose for their children. Federal legislation provides grants to help charters to manage start-up costs. They create better educational opportunities for the students therefore they have higher expectations in teaching. Charter Schools and zoned (public) schools are tuition free but unfortunately not everyone can get in to Charter school, since it works by lotteryRead MoreCharter Schools Vs. Public Schools2223 Words   |  9 PagesAt the foundation of the American public school system is the belief that every child deserves a quality education. To this end, the public school system in America has undergone many reforms. One of which has been charter schools. Charter schools are independent public schools of choice working under the auspices of a charter and not governed by the board of education. The charter can be written by parents, teachers, school ad ministrators, community leaders, educational businesses, etc. ItRead MoreCharter Schools Vs Traditional Public Schools948 Words   |  4 Pages Charter Schools vs Traditional Public Schools Charter schools are an alternative to traditional public schools, but are often viewed as the superior option in comparison to the traditional public school route. 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Charter schools consider educating their students as the priority, and identify how children’s learning needs are different from each other, so they came up with different ways on educating their students such as learning in small groupsRead MoreCharter Schools Vs Public Schools1199 Words   |  5 PagesCharter schools are defined as a publicly funded school, established as an autonomous institution with educational goals set by it board, and operating by contract or charter with local school board or state. (oed.com). Since these schools are privatized, many parents believe they are somehow better performing than neighborhood public schools. Charter schools rely on convincing data to justify the practice of privatizing schools, data that s hows high performing students. However, they hide the factRead MoreCharter Schools Vs. Public Schools Essay2233 Words   |  9 PagesCharter schools are all the buzz in the media lately; they are what seems to be the sensible response to the path traditional public schools are heading, down the drain. However, charter schools still face many obstacles and issues, stemming from the fact that they are far less regulated than their public school counterparts. This enacts issues including lack of quality control, increased segregation, and severe misuse of funds. Likewise, charter schools are only going to become increasingly moreRead MoreTraditional Public Schools1546 Words   |  7 Pagesindicate the conditions at a charter or traditional public school (including traditional public schools and magnet schools) attended by the average white, black, Hispanic, LEP and IDEA students in the state of California. For example, the seventh and eighth columns (number of AP courses) indicate th at the average white student enrolled in a charter school attends a school with 8.5 AP courses, while the average white student enrolled in a traditional public school attends a school offering 15.6 AP coursesRead MoreCharter School Conflict With The Public Schools On Different Issues1718 Words   |  7 Pages Charter School Conflict This paper will discuss charter school conflicts with the public schools on different issues. According to Ron Zimmer and Richard Buddin, â€Å"The last few years have been marked by dramatic growth in charter schools in California. In a recent radio forum, KQED Public Media, Titled Growth of Charter Schools in California Leads to Conflict with School Districts, discuses about the conflict between charter school and public school in the Oakland school district. ThisRead MoreThe Role Of State And Local Control Of Education850 Words   |  4 Pagesbody that establishes and makes sure that school districts employ only qualified individuals. The importance of state and local control of education is crucial and provides the opportunity for each state to develop their own definition of what qualifications are needed by individuals in order to be considered â€Å"highly qualified†. This definition must be reliable with NCLB as well as with the unique needs of the state. The state law requires public school elementary and secondary teachers to meetRead MoreWhy Charter Schools Are Important to Education Essay example1415 Words   |  6 Pages Why Charter Schools Are Important to Education Charter schools are public schools, but can be a better option than traditional public schools for some students. By definition, a charter school is a publicly funded and privately run school under the charter of an educational authority. (2-4) A charter school is held to a different set of standards than most traditional public schools. This can often work towards their advantage because it allows them to try new and unique methods of educating children