Charter School &
School Choice
EDN 200
November 13, 2006
Today’s Plan
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Article Reflection
School Choice
Charter Schools
Final Reflection Paper
What Types of Schools Are Out
There?*
• Neighborhood Public School:
– Local School Assigned by School District
• Charter Schools:
– Public Schools that operate free of many regulations
• Magnet Schools:
– Designed to attract diverse students to study
particular topics (science, art, etc.)
• Virtual Schools:
– On-line “distance learning” programs where students
can take one class or an entire course of study
*US. DOE, 2006
Non-Public School Types*
• Religious Private Schools
– Majority of Private Schools are religious
– Catholic Schools are majority
• Secular Private Schools
– College Preparatory
– Waldorf, Montessori
– Deaf or Blind
• Home Schooling
– Use Curricular Packages or Develop Own Course of
Study
*US. DOE, 2006
School Choice
• School choice can be best defined as
empowering parents to select the
educational environment they feel is best
for their child. In other words, school
choice is parental choice.*
*Alliance for School Choice, 2006
How Does School Choice Work?
• There are numerous ways to implement
school choice
• Within District Choice:
– Students are given the right to attend any
school within district
• Transportation usually not provided
• Magnet, Charter, Virtual, Private, Home
schooling
School Choice
• School Vouchers:
– A set amount of money is assigned to each student
and follows that student
– Money used to pay for enrollment at private school
– Money tends to be <100% of per/pupil funding
• Supporters argue that this increases per pupil funding for
those students who remain
• Detractors argue that schools are further harmed by the loss
of their highest caliber students
– Two common objections:
• Money raised with taxes should support public
education
• Public funds should not support religious schools
– Some voucher programs remove religious schools from
eligible institutions
Public Attitudes*
• Do you favor or oppose allowing students
and parents to choose a private school to
attend at public expense? (your child?)
06
Favor
Oppose
Don’t
Know
05
04
03
02
36%
38
42
38
46
60
57
54
60
52
4
5
4
2
2
PDK/Gallup, 2006
Charter Schools
• Started in 1992
• In January 2004, there were 2,996 charter
schools*
• 97 in North Carolina**
– 28,030 students enrolled
*US DOE, 2004
**USCS, 2006
Public Knowledge
• Just from what you know or have heard
about charter schools, please tell me
whether each of the following statements is
true or false.
–
–
–
–
A charter school is a public school
Charter schools are free to teach religion
Charter schools can charge tuition
Charter schools can select students on the basis of ability
Public Knowledge
• Just from what you know or have heard about
charter schools, please tell me whether each of the
following statements is true or false.
True
False
Don’t Know
A charter school is a
public school
39%
53
8
Charter schools are
free to teach religion
50
34
16
Charter schools can
charge tuition
60
29
11
Charter schools can
select students on the
basis of ability
58
29
13
What Are Charter Schools?
• Charter schools are nonsectarian public schools
of choice that operate with freedom from many
of the regulations that apply to traditional public
schools. The "charter" establishing each such
school is a performance contract detailing the
school's mission, program, goals, students
served, methods of assessment, and ways to
measure success.*
• 3-5 year contracts with state allowing individuals
or groups to operate schools with public funds
• Funds are less than 100% of district per/pupil
expenditures (approximately 80% in many
districts)
US Charter Schools, 2006
What Are Charter Schools?
• Under state mandated standardized
testing regulations
• In theory, Charters exchange autonomy for
accountability*
US DOE, 2000
Charter Schools*
• Have differing rules by state for the certification
of teachers
• Tend to be small – median enrollment of 130150 students
– Compared to 475 for public schools
• Non-normative grade configuration
– Examples: K-12, 4-6, 3-7
• Many states allow private schools to become
charter schools
• Student profiles in charters are similar to those
in public schools
– SES, race, special needs
US DOE
Public Attitudes*
• As you may know, charter schools operate under a
charter or contract that frees them from many of the state
regulations imposed on public schools and permits them
to operate independently. Do you favor or oppose the idea
of charter schools?
2006
Favor
Oppose
Don’t Know
No Children in
School
50%
37
13
PDK/Gallup, 2006
Public School
Parents
59
31
10
Do Charters Make a Difference?
• National Center for Educational Statistics
Study Shows Charters Produce No
Significant Difference (better or worse) in
Student Academic Gain
• “Not doing harm.” - NCES Commissioner
• As with district run public schools, great
variance exists among schools
Your Take On Charters
• Think about your school visits this
semester and the discussions we have
had - what aspects of traditional public
schooling would you leave out of the
charter school you create?
• Do you see the future of schooling leading
to specialized programs or large
campuses capable of offering multiple
options?
Final Reflective paper (20 points)
This was your first course at the Watson School of Education and one of the only
classes you will have in which you discuss the history, philosophy and current
events shaping public education in the United States. This assignment
challenges you to delve into your evolving thinking on educational conditions,
issues, and events and make some statements of belief. Your paper should
be thoughtful, interesting, and well-written.
Your Assignment:
Spend some time thinking about your current views on education. Reflect on the
in-class discussions we have had and the out of class readings you have
completed. Think back on the topics and people we discussed and the
research presentations we heard (Dewey, Jefferson, Mann, diversity, equity,
school funding, condition of children, school structure, teacher evaluation,
school quality, testing, Kozol, charter schools, school choice, year-round
schooling, home schooling, etc.). You may also want to reflect on the social
identity paper you wrote and the three questions you developed at the
beginning of the semester. As you are reflecting on all of the material
covered throughout the course, identify areas where your thinking has
changed. Next, follow the steps below:
Generate 3-6 statements that begin with “I believe…” These statements should
each deal with public education in America and they should all address
issues on which your thinking has changed this semester.
Explain your reasons for your belief statement.
Indicate to what extent your belief has changed from the beginning of the
semester and why your thinking has changed.
An example:
I believe that exemplary teachers who choose to work in high poverty, low
performing schools should be paid more than teachers with similar
credentials in high performing low poverty schools. As we discussed in
class, there is a great deal of evidence that high poverty schools struggle to
attract and keep veteran teachers. These schools tend to have a much
higher percentage of new teachers and teachers who are teaching outside
of their field than more affluent school systems. I think this is highly unfair
and harmful because the students in low poverty schools are most at risk of
dropping out and they have a tremendous need for quality veteran teachers.
We’ve talked all semester about the importance of high quality teachers and
I think additional funds will encourage quality educators to take jobs where
they are most needed.
My thinking has changed a great deal on this topic from the beginning of the
semester. Initially, I thought that it was not fair to pay one teacher more
than another based on where they worked. Teaching is a hard job and I
thought years of experience should be the only factor that affected pay.
Now, having discussed and reflected on the conditions and quality of
teaching in our poorest schools, I feel we need to do everything we can to
get our best teachers in those classrooms. I think my new understanding
about high poverty schools is the main reason why my thinking has
changed.
Due Date:
November 29, 2006