A Tale of Two Worlds: Charter School vs. Public School - One Mom's View

First a disclaimer, my day job is working for a local school district. Considering the topic of this post, I figured it was only fair to start with that. As you all know I have two children. What you may not know is that I have one in public school and one in a charter school.  Having a place in both worlds has taught me a lot. I know that many believe charter schools are the next big thing in education, but I am not so sure about that. There are a lot of things that parents need to take into consideration before choosing a charter school.

First a little background. The public elementary school my daughter attended was great. The teachers were supportive of her issues and did all they could to help her fit in.  But by third grade it became apparent that as she got older and her issues became more complex she would do better to be in a smaller atmosphere with an aide and a bit more support. So, I did some research and thought that the charter school my daughter currently attends might be a better fit. In some cases I think a charter school, for a specialized group of children with specialized needs, might be a good thing.  Having said that, it often irritates me when people think that charter schools have the power to make children geniuses, while public schools are just plugging along.

Here’s what I’ve learned. Charter schools can take applications and choose the children they want to allow into their schools, public schools can’t do that.  Public schools must educate any child no matter what. Some charter schools are requiring volunteer hours in order for your child to remain at the school – yeah right, do you really think a public school could get away with that? Most parents at a charter school are committed to the school and to doing whatever they can to make the school successful. In a public school there are often homeless children, children with parents who want to be involved but often can’t afford to take time off from work, children with parents who frankly, just don’t care, children whose parents are doing all they can but the child doesn’t care. The point is - public schools, unlike charter schools, can’t turn students away, or kick them out if their parents don’t donate or give enough volunteer hours. Until recently (when some parents in the district complained) my daughter’s charter school and many others in my area, required so many hours of volunteering and if you didn’t meet the volunteer-hours quota, you could pay $10 per required volunteer hour instead.  That always bothered me but I felt like, hey what was I going to do? It was play by their rules or she was out.

And then there is the reporting process.  In the last few years I have felt as though my daughter’s school, (one that accepts children with all sorts of disabilities) is spreading itself too thin. When you take children with everything from a mood disorder to downs syndrome and everything in between, how can you possibly make sure all IEPs are followed and that they all get the attention they need? In public schools there is a hierarchy, a chain of command when you don’t get the level of assistance or answers you need. In a charter school that chain simply doesn’t exist. I have no idea who to go to if I don’t get the level of assistance her IEP demands. The charter school is an independent entity. While it is true that school districts monitor charter schools, those schools are still independent and as long as they follow state rules, they can run their school the way they see fit.

Don’t get me wrong, public schools have their share of challenges, that is FOR SURE. But while I believe charter schools may be really good for a certain niche or type of student, I still believe that at the end of the day, public schools need more support, more assistance, more parental involvement, heck they just need more. Everyone thinks they know how to solve the education crisis - business men who have never taught a day in their lives, politicians who just say whatever they think the public wants to hear to get elected, you name it. Meanwhile children, my son and daughter included, are trying to figure out how to perform for the latest standardized test that proves … um anybody know what it proves?

Do I have the answer to the problem? Heck no, I am still struggling with potty training my special needs child.  But I will say this, putting up a charter school on every corner isn’t the answer. And standardized testing students to death in public schools, changing the standards every five minutes, and making teachers so responsible for students that they should be able to claim their entire class on their taxes, isn’t the way to go either. For all of our children’s sakes, we have to find a balance. So before you get angry at your child’s neighborhood school and pull them out for the latest charter school fad be sure that you can say you supported the school as best you could, you worked with the teachers tirelessly, you wrote your legislator about all of the rules and regulations they have demanded, many that don’t even make sense. Just make sure you did more. Take it from me, a mom with a foot in both worlds (charter school and public school), what they say is true – the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

P.S. Aren’t you proud of me, blogging two days in a row! Maybe I am turning over a new leaf!