Parents Corner
Adoption || Biblical Truths || Education || Helpful Techniques || Let me tell ya || Parents and Teens ||
Single Parents || Medical || Tried and True || Moms Escape || Parenting Discussion Forum || Parents Home

Not All Charter Schools Are Created Equal

By Dick M. Carpenter II

Just because it's a charter school doesn't mean it's right for your child.

"I wanted to let you know that I am pulling Jennifer out of the academy." Mrs. Nelson's announcement stunned me. As a charter-school principal, I routinely dealt with parental concerns, most of them about discipline or grading policies. Withdrawal was not routine, however. I asked why they were taking this step.

"This school is simply too hard for her," Mrs. Nelson said. "Jennifer is reading books she barely understands, and the pace of the class is too fast. Because you only have one class in her grade, I don't see any options."

It was true that we expected much of our students. Academic rigor was central to the school's mission. It also was true that our small size meant students had only one choice in any given subject.

But removing Jennifer was not the only option. I asked Mrs. Nelson a few more questions and suggested we meet with Jennifer and her teacher to develop strategies to help Jennifer succeed. Through this process, Jennifer began excelling and stayed in the academy.

Unfortunately, not all situations end so happily. I've seen other parents withdraw their children, not so much because of academic demands but more because of disagreements over the school's central beliefs or practices. That is why I encourage parents to carefully investigate a charter school—to investigate any educational option, in fact—before enrolling their children.

More than 1,100 charter schools now operate in 26 states. Because the most common reason for founding a charter school is to gain autonomy in pursuing an educational vision, these schools are as diverse as they are numerous. Charter schools might be opened to emphasize back-to-basics or experiential education; to teach students with special needs or who are considered high-risk; or to specialize in college-prep, vocational, environmental, arts, business or science curricula.

Beyond a charter school's central philosophy or mission, practices also vary. Imagine your surprise at report-card time when you receive a gradeless, 26-page narrative describing your child's progress when you expected a one-page summary with letter grades! With such an array of missions and methods, parents must take time to discover the philosophies and practices that guide any school their children might attend.

Before you investigate, however, you must know what you believe and what you want for your child's education. Many a charter school will talk about its successes, but its methods may not be consistent with your beliefs or goals.

A good place to start is with a school's own literature, which most charter schools produce. A brochure could tell you enough about a school to remove it from consideration. Don't stop there. If you are seriously considering a school, make an appointment to visit. Observe a class and tour as much of the school as possible, since your child may attend there several years. As you evaluate a charter school, watch for these elements.

Classroom
• Method of instruction. How is the material presented? How are the students required to learn? Some charter schools allow students to decide for themselves what and how they will learn on a given day; other schools are more teacher-centered.
• Classroom environment. How is the classroom managed? Positive and orderly classrooms are the result of clear expectations, consistent consequences and genuine, frequent praise.
• Curriculum. Which curricula are used? How much time is spent on each subject? In general, effective curricula are content-rich and promote academic rigor.
• Testing and grading. What kinds of testing and grading procedures does the school use? Do students receive letter grades or narratives? How are tests used? They should not rate only student performance; they also should gauge the quality of instruction.
• Homework. What is the school's homework philosophy? How much is assigned?

Support Services
• Counseling. Does the school employ a counselor? If so, what role does he or she play?
• Parent and family services. Does the school provide programs for families, such as parenting classes or continuing education? Is extended care available before or after school hours? Are breakfast and lunch offered?

Co-curricular
• Special education. What, if any, special-education services does the school provide?
• Title programs. Some federally funded title programs provide students with additional services in areas such as reading, math, drug awareness or fitness. Does the school offer any?
• Arts and physical education. How are arts and physical-education programs integrated into the school? When a school considers arts and physical education as extracurricular, it implies they are not important.

General
• Communication. How does the school regularly communicate with parents? Newsletters are common; some schools use telephone voice mail or the Internet.
• Parental involvement. How are parents encouraged to be involved in their child's education? Are you required to volunteer your time? Some charter schools require parents to volunteer a minimum number of hours. If they don't, parents pay a fee.
• Governance. How is the school supervised? How are the working relationships between the governing board and school employees? How responsive is the board to parents and the community?

In addition, these school documents can provide insightful information:
• Mission statement and goals
• Newsletters
• Policy statements on curriculum, grading, retention and promotion, scheduling, discipline, field trips, attendance and extracurricular activities
• Test scores
• Attendance and dropout statistics
• Curriculum descriptions, scope and sequence

One of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child is a successful education, and charter schools can play an important role in that. But as with any life-molding decision they make for their children, parents should do their homework first.

APPENDIX

In response to demands for better performance and more choice among public schools, in the early 1990s a number of state legislatures passed laws allowing parents, teachers or other interested groups to develop charter schools, which receive public funds but are freed from most state and local regulations governing typical public schools. Instead, they are held accountable by state laws and fiscal responsibility for improving student performance and meeting the goals of their charter contracts.

During the chartering process, school founders must articulate the school's central mission, structure, curricula, policies and accountability procedures. The public status of charter schools means they are open to anyone, tuition-free. Not every state allows charter schools. Contact your state representative to find out the status of charter schools in your state.