Social and Cultural Foundations of American Education/Edition 3/19.4.3
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ALTERNATIVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS: CHARTER SCHOOLS AND BEYOND
By: Charlette Carter
Contents |
[edit] INTRODUCTION
As I embark on this journey to become an educator. I hope to have some input on what is taught in my classroom. In today's educational environment we are more concerned with learning how to take a test rather than learning the basic skills, which is the foundation to all learning. The No Child Left Behind act has left many educators second guessing the career that once gave them the satisfaction of knowing that they made a contribution to the future. For years, the choices for education were limited. It was either public or private schooling depending on your economic status. For most, it was public and we turned out fine. Well, no longer is this the case. Today, there are several options available in our vast educational landscape. These options range from the aforementioned public school to parochial and proprietary schools. Charter schools on the other hand have been continuously growing over the years because of the support they receive from parents, teachers and even students. Will public schools be able to survive? Or are charter schools just a phase that will eventually just fade out and leave us with our original options? Public or private.
[edit] THE HISTORY OF CHARTER SCHOOLS
In the early 70s, New England educator Ray Budde thought it would be great if teachers could be given contracts or charters to explore their own approach to education. Budde believed that teachers should be able to apply their own methods of teaching without the strict regulations of a traditional public school. Albert Shanker, former president of the American Federation of Teachers decided he wanted to expand on Buddes idea by suggesting that an entire school be chartered. This idea caught on fast because of the choice that was given to parents and students. "The idea was further refined in Minnesota where charter schools were developed according to three basic values: opportunity, choice, and responsibility for results"(US CHARTER SCHOOLS)[[1]]. "In 1991 Minnesota passed the first charter school law..."((US CHARTER SCHOOLS)[[2]])."Today charter schools are one of the fastest growing innovations in education policy..."((US CHARTER SCHOOLS)[[3]])."By 2003 more than 684,000 U.S. students attended charter schools- publicly funded schools that pledged better academic results and were unencumbered by many of the regulations governing ordinary public schools"(BRITANNICA)[4].
[edit] POSITIVE ASPECTS OF CHARTER SCHOOLS
| "The Public Charter Schools Program supports the planning, development, and initial implementation of charter schools. Charter schools provide enhanced parental choice and are exempt from many statutory and regulatory requirements. In exchange for increased flexibility, charter schools are held accountable for improving student academic achievement. The objective is to replace rules-based governance with performance-based accountability, thereby stimulating the creativity and commitment of teachers, parents, and citizens".[http://www.ed.gov/programs/charter/index.html] |
"The success of charter schools has been mixed. Some schools operated smoothly and reported higher student test scores than those in ordinary public schools". (Britannica, 2007) Many parents and students are very happy with the charter school experience. Parents, students and teachers all work together to make the educational experience one that produces positive results. The school itself is directly accountable to its customers-the parents. Unlike public schools where you kind of have to go along with the program, parents in a charter school can just take their kids out if they are not satisfied. It is almost like paying for bad service only you have a lot more at stake.
Both charter schools and public schools receive public funds. Public schools have strict guidelines and requirements that must be met to continue to receive these funds. A charter school education can be compared to that of a private school education-only its free. You get all of the benefits of a private school education without being told what and how you should learn. Because public schools get their funding from the state, local and federal government they have to admit all children that reside in the district closest to their school. As a result of this the public school gets a variety of students that may have several different needs. Charter schools on the other hand tend to cater to special needs kids that may need one on one attention.
Charter schools have the ability to serve at-risk students. For students who don't come from a financially stable background charter schools give them the opportunity to receive the same or better education as a student attending a private school. This allows them a level playing field when they go to college or enter the workforce.
Charter schools are not only for students who need a more specialized education. They are also for children who because of behavioral problems for what ever reason are no longer able to attend a public school. These students have to be removed from the public school setting and alternative charter schools are the answer for them. This is a positive for both public and charter schools. Public because they are no longer disrupting other children while they are trying to learn. Charter because these students almost guarantee them more public funding. If they continue to misbehave the funds keep coming.
[edit] NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF CHARTER SCHOOLS
Now lets talk about the negatives aspects of charter schools. There are many but, I will go over only a few. First lets start with the idea of "creaming" and "cropping" which I will explain in more detail later. We also have the possibility of re-segregating our schools system because many for-profit schools cater to a more advantaged population. So you see it goes both ways. Some schools are formed to help kids who can't afford a better education and then you have the schools with the backing of a corporation who is only interested in turning a profit. So this creates a school that is only interested in allowing students with the best chance for academic advancement into their school. "Market-oriented charter schools—those with links to for-profit corporations,with a strong business presence on their founding boards, and those with entrepreneurial plans for expansion—are hypothesized to be more responsive to pressures to engage in cream-skimming of students based on academic performance and cost". (Lacireno-Paquet,2002; Holyoke,2002; Moser,2002; Henig, 2002)
What is cream-skimming you ask? Well, it is a practice that takes only the top academic achievers to make up the student population in a charter school. An article entitled Creaming Versus Cropping: Charter School Enrollment Practices in Response to Market Incentives reads "As a consequence of such pressure, schools may “cream” students, that is, they may attempt to siphon off those students who, because of favorable background circumstances, will be easier and perhaps less costly to educate. These students give the school the edge it needs to thrive in the market place (for example, through higher parent participation and financial support). (Lacireno-Paquet,2002; Holyoke,2002; Moser,2002; Henig, 2002)
These same schools denied admission to students with disabilities for the opposite reason. They are too costly to educate. "Rather than skimming the cream off the top of the potential student population, market-oriented charter schools may be “cropping off” service to students whose language or special education needs make them more costly to educate".(Lacireno-Paquet,2002; Holyoke,2002; Moser,2002; Henig, 2002) According to Research Policy Practice International “charter schools enrolled three percent fewer students with disabilities than all public schools (8% versus 11%) in the 27 charter states (in 1997–98)” (Research Policy Practice International, 2000, p. 36)wsp.www.bctf.ca/ResearchReports/95ei06/
The idea of re-segregation may sound far fetched but, before you refer to Brown v Board of Education, think about this. "Wealthier families use their greater residential mobility to cluster in exclusive communities and then use their political clout to create and sustain public policies that buffer their local schools from “invasion” by lower income and minority students. These newcomers, they believe, will demand disproportionate attention from teachers, lead to a less rigorous curriculum, undermine school safety, and tarnish the reputation of the school and community".(Lacireno-Paquet,2002; Holyoke,2002; Moser,2002; Henig, 2002) Yes, there are probably very few parents who do this but, just imagine if everyone does the same for whatever reason they may have. These reasons could stem from social class, skin color, language barriers and any other reason that a person decided they want to separate themselves from the masses.
[edit] ARE PRIVATE SCHOOLS THE ANSWER?
According to the Department of Education website, most private or nonpublic schools in the U.S. are religious, and many are affiliated with a religious faith, denomination, or local church. Many nonpublic schools without a religious identity or affiliation are private schools designed to prepare students for college.www.ed.gov/programs/charter/index.html]
"Most educators in the United States have had to confront the changed reality brought about by the federal re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This represents a set of initiatives that can radically transform the federal role in policing and controlling core aspects of education in general and teacher education". (Apple, 2007www.ed.gov/programs/charter/index.html] With all of this said, Is a private school the answer? They don't receive Government funding, they are not bound by the No Child Left Behind Act which will allow them to actually teach the students the fundamentals they need to continue to learn and grow even after they have received a perfect score on the "famous" standardized tests. In a private school setting everyone has an equal social status because everyone has to pay and this means more parent involvement which in turn means a strong backing from both students and parents. There are no corporations expecting a profit so everyone who can pay is admitted. This also creates more diversity in the students because they will not be from the same neighborhood. And the most important benefit of all is the religious backing of your choice. So not only will your child be academically advanced he/she will also receive some spiritual nourishment.
[edit] CONCLUSION
Again, all of the schools have positive and negative aspects. The determining factor is what is best for your individual needs, whether they be special education, social segregation or academic creaming and cropping. The thing to remember is that you have many choices that go far beyond what I have discussed in this article. Charter schools are increasing by great numbers daily. They are fulfilling needs that people have longed for for years. With so many options and so many schools, students and parents alike should have no problems succeeding in schools because whatever your needs may be there is a school out there for you.
[edit] ESSAY QUESTION
As a result of increasing parent interaction do you think the No Child left Behind Act will influence the popularity of charter schools in the future?
[edit] ANSWER
Parents are more concerned with the education of their children because there is so much more at stake these days. I think that NCLB cheats students out of a good quality education. For this reason I do think more parents will eventually gravitate to charter schools because teachers still believe in teaching and they work very hard to make sure their students have what they need to face the world. As with anything you are going to have some bad along with the good but as long as the good out weighs the bad I think charter schools will give public schools a run for their money. Charter schools are the every day working man answers to giving his kids a better start in life without breaking the bank.
[edit] MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which state was the first to pass a charter law?
A. CALIFORNIA
B. MINNESOTA
C. VIRGINIA
D. TEXAS
2. In what year was the first charter school law passed?
A. 1970
B. 2003
C. 1991
D. 1884
3. What does the term creaming in this article refer to?
A. MILKING A COW
B. PICKING THE BEST OF THE BEST
C. PUTTING CREAM IN YOUR MILK
D. WHIP CREAM ON YOUR LATTE
4. Of the choices listed,which is not a type of charter school?
A. ACADEMIC
B. SPECIAL EDUCATION
C. KIDS WITH BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS
D. KIDS WITH ALLERGIES
5. Where do charter schools mainly get their funding?
A. PUBLIC FUNDS
B. PARENTS PAY FOR STUDENTS TO ATTEND
C. FUND RAISERS
D. DONATIONS
[edit] REFERENCES
Apple,Michael W. "IDEOLOGICAL SUCCESS, EDUCATIONAL FAILURE? ON THE POLITICS OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 58, No. 2, March/April 2007
Charter Schools Gain Momentum. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: [5]
Lacireno-Paquet,2002; Holyoke,2002; Moser,2002; Henig, 2002. Creaming versus Cropping: Charter School Enrollment Practices in Response to Market ChangesEducational Evaluation and Policy Analysis Summer 2002, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 145–158
US Charter schools website on September 19, 2007[[6]]
US Department of Education website on September 19, 2007 www.ed.gov/programs/charter/index.html]
Kuehn, Larry. "Ten problems with charter schools" wsp.www.bctf.ca/ResearchReports/95ei06/
[edit] MULTIPLE CHOICE ANSWERS
1. B
2. C
3. B
4. D
5. A
