Posted on 07/03/2012 12:37:31 PM PDT by Mind Freed
My sons school is transitioning to a charter school this school year and I don't know too much about charter schools. The advantages or disadvantages. I've been looking up information on the internet but I was hoping that maybe someone could tell me in plain English what Charter Schools are actually all about.
Public school is child abuse.
All of its contents are beyond disturbing but the section on the use of education in waging class warfare is of particular interest here. On page 7 of that document I bring your attention to the following directly quoted;
“In order to achieve a totally predictable economy, the low-class elements of society must be brought under total control, ie; must be housebroken, trained, and assigned a yoke and long-term social duties from a very early age, before they have an opportunity to question on the propriety of the matter. In order to achieve such conformity, the lower-class family unit must be disintegrated by a process of increasing preoccupation of the parents and the establishment of government-operated day-care centers for the occupationally orphaned children. The quality of education given to the lower class must be of the poorest sort, so that the moat of ignorance isolating the inferior class from the superior class is and remains incomprehensible to the inferior class. With such an initial handicap, even bright lower class individuals have little if any hope of extricating themselves from their assigned lot in life. This form of slavery is essential to maintain some measure of social order, peace, and tranquility for the ruling upper class.”
This Quiet War using Silent Weapons was quietly declared by the International Elite at a meeting held in 1954. Although the silent weapons system was nearly exposed 13 years later, the evolution of the new-weapon system has never suffered any major setbacks even today."
In Arizona, the charter schools get money from the school districts just like the public schools do, and you have a choice of which you will send your kids to. We've had great experiences with charter schools... because we chose schools that had excellent faculty members, administrations and strong parental involvement and influence. That, unfortunately, is not the case for all charter schools.
In my town, charter schools are exclusive bundts and covens for liberals. Don't think like them (or exude their pheromes), your kid will be hectored out of the school.
Ditto that. Managed to pick a young charter high school for two of my sons. Because of the quality of instructors, instruction, motivated students and parents, the school quickly became the highest rated school in Oklahoma, and 145th in the nation (US News & World Rept). And this despite being constantly besieged by lawsuits from the union-driven educational establishment.
One son is in college now and the other is about to start. If the first one's experience is any indication, the rigors of the charter school made college much easier. And the scholarships and AP classes have saved me a ton of money. So my experience with charter schools is very positive.
While state laws vary, the idea behind a charter school is that the operation and structure of the school is not controlled by the normal public school regulations and bureaucracy. When an existing school converts to a charter school, which seems to be the case in your situation, many of the same people are likely to be present and involved, although, for example, there may be new administration or management by a separate company.
In almost every charter school new ideas are tried out, even if the "ideas" are restoring an older style of education that is proven to work. You should find out what your school plans to do, at a minimum they will have submitted a plan to the state department of education to obtain the charter.
As other posters have noted, every school is different, and a successful school for one kid may not be a good fit for another kid. So you have to see if the school is a good fit for your family.
Many charter schools outperform their fellow public school counterparts because they focus on one particular type of student, and they have dedicated faculty and administrators. Often teachers who have or do work in regular public schools find that they can be more effective within the unique framework of a charter school.
For example, charter schools have achieved great success in some impoverished neighborhoods by addressing the particular needs of the students and their families and setting high expectations for the students.
Charter schools also exist that cater to students interested in art, science and math, business, or other specialties, or who want or need to study on-line with a flexible schedule. Since charter schools are public schools they will have some of the regulatory characteristics of a public school, and their curriculum is ultimately controlled by state law. But they are often more flexible and effective than a traditional public school.
I'd contact the principal of the school and ask them for information on what they plan to do. From there see if what they offer works for your family. If not remember there are plenty of other choices - private schools, online schools, homeschooling, etc.
Charter schools are privately-run, publicly-funded schools. Like the district schools, they get their money from government, but they are typically given a little more freedom from government regulations. As JustTheTruth noted, every charter school is different. Some are one-offs run by former district teachers with ideas that didn’t work in the confines of a district. Some (like KIPP, Imagine, Rocketship, Aspire, Great Hearts, etc.) are chains, that try to implement a shared philosophy broadly.
Results are all over the map, especially for the one-offs. Some are great. Others rank with the bottom end of the district schools.
When a charter school first starts up, there is typically enough energy among the staff that things work well. As the initial staff burns out and drifts away, it’s harder to maintain both the long hours and the smiles. Hence, you should keep an eye on the school — and participate in it yourself — to know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em, and find another school.
The line between regular schools and charter schools have been blurred. My 9 year old daughter was at a good school and we put her in a better school this year. She is much happier.
Instead of having bake sales, this new school simply asks parents to donate $100 if they can, or buy bulk school supplies, if they can.
My kid’s school actually had a father/daughter dance. That couldn’t have happened at her old school.
Charter schools started off having non-union teachers that could be fired or receive pay increases depending on their ability, just like normal businesses. Now the unions are in the charter schools.
You can’t tell by the neighborhood anymore because when a nice neighborhood is threatened with layoffs due to fewer children, the school resorts to open enrollment rather than let a few teachers go. I was willing to move into a neighborhood that had the best schools for my kid but settled for driving my kid across town because I’ll have to go through the same thing when she goes into middle school and then high school.
Use something like http://www.greatschools.org/
First, check the schools grade.
Then check the ratio of eligible for lunch children.
Third, check for language spoken at home.
There is a direct correlation between the free lunch kids, the foreigners and the schools grade.
My kids started out home schooled, starting in the 80’s. The longer we home schooled them, the more they have excelled in college and life. My wife poured herself into them and it shows.
My youngest two home schooled until 9th grade and 2nd grade, when we both needed to work outside the home. One daughter went to a good public high school, and graduated OK. Our youngest went to a charter school from 2nd - 8th grade, and then moved to a STEM school.
The STEM school pushes her in engineering and related disciplines. Their best teachers are great, their worst are slightly better than most HS teachers. She is taking every AP class she can, and most are dual credit. With the summer courses she is taking now, she will enter Texas A&M with between 1 1/2 and 2 years college credit behind her.
Look around your area and start now to ask about schools. Even otherwise great schools can derail a child's education if the students spend more time chasing each other than good grades.
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