I am starting to read about this concept as it seems this area is becoming inundated with charter schools. There is certainly a lot to learn as each charter school is a fingerprint of uniqueness and each state runs theirs differently.
One charter brings us a science and technology magnet, the other charter arts, and an incoming third, from my reading, is providing an alternative program. I can't offer any praise or critique of any of these schools because they are much too new to gauge and I'm much too un-researched on them. Educational statistics dont' give you a good view of a school's worth for many years into the school! But what I can confront is concern over what these particular charter schools might do to this community and its educational wealth. My main concern is that the wealth will be quite limited to one particular group of students.
Due to the restrictions on which 'type' of family can attend these three particular schools; Academic regulations, parental -involvement expectations, time- requirements, financial expectations ~ we're possibly looking at very homogenous charter schools, certainly finance-wise, possibly ethnicity wise as well. Students with learning disabilities will not get past the initial filtering. Students with parents unable to volunteer hours every month will not get past the initial filtering. Students who enter school at sub-average intellect will not get past the initial filtering. Students whose parents cannot afford the uniforms, supplies, field trips, gas to and fro the school....will not get past the initial filtering. Those who end up enrolled and active are upper middle class, intelligent, developmentally on-level or above-level, and have at least one parent who stays home during the day regularly. The cream of the crop, the easiest to educate, the center of the Twinkie! Their scores will be high and the praise will be bestowed on the Charter school. And what will occur in the schools left behind?
The schools left behind are simply not something these Charter schools or their families need consider once enrolled. But the community needs to consider it. I live miles away from where this is happening, but I'm considering it. A segregated and unequal school system where 'wealth' is isolated to a select few, doesn't make for great county ratings. My property values are part and parcel to this.
Three charter schools that isolate their systems financially and academically may not make a huge dent. It's the equivalent of a mega-church opening up a private school. But what if there's more? What if we reach a point where all of our upper middle class and all of our high-scorers are isolated to charter schools? What will happen to the children who don't have stay at home mothers capable of spending 10 hours a week in either a classroom or a fundraising meeting? What will happen to children who have learning or physical disabilities that these charter schools have no resources to help? What will happen to students who cannot reach the academic threshold these schools demand for admittance and continuance? What will happen in 25 years to the students at the one? two? three? remaining non-Charter schools that don't have a large group of passionate teachers and administrators behind them?
We've seen children segregated from their peers along these same lines. We all know precisely which parts of the community this helps and which parts this hurts. Are we willing to do this to our community? It's easy to fall into the 'I gots mine' trap when it comes to our children. I.E. Doing whatever we feel needs to be done to get our kids the best, no matter what it does to the rest. But if our community does not consider the rest, and we continue to welcome in schools that don't consider the rest, what kind of community are we?
Hopefully in the near future those creating new charter schools in this community will keep in mind that other charter schools in this nation take great strides to fulfil the needs of the entire community; its diversity, its disabilities, its poor, rather than only helping a select few. But from what I've been seeing, that's not what is happening. I'll remain hopeful, but cynical.
One charter brings us a science and technology magnet, the other charter arts, and an incoming third, from my reading, is providing an alternative program. I can't offer any praise or critique of any of these schools because they are much too new to gauge and I'm much too un-researched on them. Educational statistics dont' give you a good view of a school's worth for many years into the school! But what I can confront is concern over what these particular charter schools might do to this community and its educational wealth. My main concern is that the wealth will be quite limited to one particular group of students.
Due to the restrictions on which 'type' of family can attend these three particular schools; Academic regulations, parental -involvement expectations, time- requirements, financial expectations ~ we're possibly looking at very homogenous charter schools, certainly finance-wise, possibly ethnicity wise as well. Students with learning disabilities will not get past the initial filtering. Students with parents unable to volunteer hours every month will not get past the initial filtering. Students who enter school at sub-average intellect will not get past the initial filtering. Students whose parents cannot afford the uniforms, supplies, field trips, gas to and fro the school....will not get past the initial filtering. Those who end up enrolled and active are upper middle class, intelligent, developmentally on-level or above-level, and have at least one parent who stays home during the day regularly. The cream of the crop, the easiest to educate, the center of the Twinkie! Their scores will be high and the praise will be bestowed on the Charter school. And what will occur in the schools left behind?
The schools left behind are simply not something these Charter schools or their families need consider once enrolled. But the community needs to consider it. I live miles away from where this is happening, but I'm considering it. A segregated and unequal school system where 'wealth' is isolated to a select few, doesn't make for great county ratings. My property values are part and parcel to this.
Three charter schools that isolate their systems financially and academically may not make a huge dent. It's the equivalent of a mega-church opening up a private school. But what if there's more? What if we reach a point where all of our upper middle class and all of our high-scorers are isolated to charter schools? What will happen to the children who don't have stay at home mothers capable of spending 10 hours a week in either a classroom or a fundraising meeting? What will happen to children who have learning or physical disabilities that these charter schools have no resources to help? What will happen to students who cannot reach the academic threshold these schools demand for admittance and continuance? What will happen in 25 years to the students at the one? two? three? remaining non-Charter schools that don't have a large group of passionate teachers and administrators behind them?
We've seen children segregated from their peers along these same lines. We all know precisely which parts of the community this helps and which parts this hurts. Are we willing to do this to our community? It's easy to fall into the 'I gots mine' trap when it comes to our children. I.E. Doing whatever we feel needs to be done to get our kids the best, no matter what it does to the rest. But if our community does not consider the rest, and we continue to welcome in schools that don't consider the rest, what kind of community are we?
Hopefully in the near future those creating new charter schools in this community will keep in mind that other charter schools in this nation take great strides to fulfil the needs of the entire community; its diversity, its disabilities, its poor, rather than only helping a select few. But from what I've been seeing, that's not what is happening. I'll remain hopeful, but cynical.
