Preview

Charter Schools vs. Traditional School

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
3723 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Charter Schools vs. Traditional School
Charter Schools vs. Traditional School Charter schools are defined by the U.S. Department of Education (as cited in Marshall, Gibbs, Greene, Nelson and Schofield, 2001) as “public schools that are under contract from some public agency” (p. 129). ? Charter schools fit in a niche between private and public schools. They are funded with public money (except for their facilities) and they are an alternative to regular public schools systems. A private group of people can submit and get approved a charter to run their own school. Charter schools receive waivers from public school districts in exchange for promising better academic results. Charters are usually given for 3-5 years, where an eye is kept on academic performance. If academic performance lags behind comparable public schools, then the “charter” is pulled and the school is closed. Therefore, the reasons for and mission of charter schools may differ by school. State boards of education have remained open to varying philosophies of educational approaches. In many states a charter can be obtained by submitting an acceptable proposal to the state board of education. If the board sees the proposal as a benefit to the current public school system, then it will most likely grant the charter (Marshall, et. al., 2001). The first charter school law was enacted in Minnesota in 1991 and had the purpose of giving educators the chance to found schools that would operate as non-profit organizations (Wronkovich, 2000). A survey of directors and founders of charter schools (as cited by Fusarelli, 2002) listed several major motives for the establishment of charter schools, including: (a)autonomy in educational programming,(b) a desire to serve a special student population, (c) realization of an educational vision, (d) a desire to provide a better teaching and learning environment, (e) instructional innovation, (f) a desire to involve parents, and (g) the autonomy to develop nontraditional relationships


References: Abowitz, K.W. (2008). From public education to educating publics. The Clearing House, 76 (1), 34-38. Retrieved March 16, 2011, from H.W. Wilson database (Education Full Text). Adler, M.J.; On Behalf of the Members of the Paideia Group (1982). The Paideia Proposal: An Educational Manifesto. New York: Simon & Schuster. Estes, M.B. (2000). Charter schools and students with special needs: How well do they mix? Education and Treatment of Children 23 (3), 369-380. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from Academic Search Elite. Estes, M.B. (2004). Choice for all? Charter schools and students with special needs. Journal of Special Education 37 (4), 257-265. Retrieved March 3, 2011, from Academic Search Elite Fusarelli, L.D Good, T.L. & Braden, J.S. (2000). The Great School Debate: Choice, Vouchers, and Charters. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Harris, S.L. (2002). Children with special needs and school choice: Five stories. Preventing School Failure 46 (2), 75-78. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from H.W. Wilson database (Education Full Text). Hassel, B.C. (1999). The Charter School Challenge: Avoiding the Pitfalls, Fulfilling the Promise. Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Marshall, P.L., Gibbs, D.C., Greene, T.M., Nelson, W.C. & Schofield, J.R. (2001). Teachers reflect on charter schools. Kappa Delta Pi Record 37 (3), 129-132. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from H.W. Wilson database (Education Full Text). Nathan, J. (1996). Charter Schools: Creating Hope and Opportunity for American Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Swanson, E.A. (2004). Special education services in charter schools. The Educational Forum 69 (1), 34-43. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from H.W. Wilson database (Education Full Text). Wronkovich, M. (2000). Will charter schools lead to a systemic reform of public education? American Secondary Education 28 (4), 3-8. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from H.W. Wilson database (Education Full Text).
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of Charter Schools
    • 104 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Pros And Cons Of Charter Schools

    Charter schools are not held to many of the rules and regulations of traditional public schools. For example, the schools can create their own curriculum and grading systems, and teachers are not required to have a master's degree or state teaching certification.…

    • 104 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Conflicts Between Philadelphia's Public Schools And Charter Schools
    • 304 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Conflicts Between Philadelphia's Public Schools And Charter Schools

    Philadelphia has experienced an increase of charter schools, which are currently experiencing severe backlash for their lack of oversight and general disorganization, all while sharing the budget with public schools. This essay aims to discuss the conflicts between Philadelphia’s public schools and charter schools, and to illustrate which solutions and policies can keep the parents from leaving the city in search of better schools.…

    • 304 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Are The Pros And Cons Of Charter Schools
    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What Are The Pros And Cons Of Charter Schools

    Charter schools are defined as an independent public school that operates independently of the district board of education. While traditional public schools are run by the school district. As the years have progressed charters have become more popular because people believe that they are more child-centered and provide more educational choices for the children. While people who oppose charter schools are against them because of various reasons such as: corrupt boards, segregation within the schools, etc.. Charter schools are said to give families opportunities to pick the school most suitable for their child the question. Families and the public are now more than ever expressing opinions on the education system and what they need for their…

    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of Charter Schools
    • 2134 Words
    • 9 Pages

    The Pros And Cons Of Charter Schools

    (“Fast Facts: Charter Schools,” n.d.). This paper will analyze the neoliberal, social liberal and social democratic paradigms in light of the charter school debate of whether the United States school system should be predominately based on public schools, charter schools or private schools. Charter School Pros Since charter schools receive private funding they are absolved of following state and federal laws of the public education system. Charter schools create their own curriculum and approach to teaching methodologies. They can focus on various themes such as the arts, humanities, or technology while public schools have stricter guidelines to follow.…

    • 2134 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Are The Pros And Cons Of Charter Schools
    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages

    What Are The Pros And Cons Of Charter Schools

    Charter schools provide innovative methods of schooling that benefit different levels of the institution’s structure but also depreciate public’s school's…

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of Charter Schools
    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Pros And Cons Of Charter Schools

    According to “wehavekids.com,” These schools give students choices of how they want to learn. They give them different methods of studying and perceiving information. They state that some of the pros charter schools are the smaller classrooms and the smaller school. With smaller classrooms the students get individualized attention from teachers. In a smaller group teachers get opportunities to assess to a student who is struggling, or who has difficulty learning or paying attention.…

    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Is Charter School Better Than Public Schools
    • 189 Words
    • 1 Page

    Why Is Charter School Better Than Public Schools

    The debate continues on which school is better. A school of choice (charter, online, or home schools.) or the public schools system. A school of choice is a better choice than a regular public school. But a lot of people are against schools of choice.…

    • 189 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Vouchers Vs Alternative Schools
    • 1061 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Vouchers Vs Alternative Schools

    Stated in a report from UCLA they found that charter schools have higher rates of racial segregation more often than traditional public schools, similar results were found in Minnesota and North Carolina . (www.the74million.org) There is also the argument these programs are unconstitutional by violating separation of church and state. “Per the U.S. Department of Education, 76 percent of private schools have a religious affiliation and 80 percent of students attending private schools are religious institutions.” Opponents often refer to some of media coming out on the success of these programs as a war on public education, sighting such works as “Waiting for Superman,” “The War on Kids,” “The Cartel” and “The Lottery.” (www.au.org) Teachers are concerned about the ability to protect their rights to organize as well, since most school of choice programs utilize non-union teachers. Often the opposition suggest, this may be part of the push, conservatives are not typically supportive to unionize. The opponents of the vouchers and alternate schools of choice systems are adamant in their opinion that the diversion of public education funds to private schools will not only detrimentally damage the public-school system, they strongly believe it is already creating…

    • 1061 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Diversity In Charter Schools
    • 290 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Role Of Diversity In Charter Schools

    Charter schools encourage diversity throughout schools. On the “U.S. Department of Education” website written by Margaret Spellings, the author discusses how charter schools throughout the United States have grown and become more popular in the education system within the recent years. Since 1991, the U.S. has passed charter school legislations in 42 states (Spellings). This statistic shows that charter schools are increasing throughout the U.S. as racial diversity also rapidly increases. Because charter schools are becoming more favorable due to the quality and equal education provided for students, schools systems with most likely offer charter schools all throughout the U.S. as the desired type of education for future students. Also stated…

    • 290 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    National Charter School Study
    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages

    National Charter School Study

    That gives students’ parents more choices to select the suitable school for their children. Those parents think that the increased competition between public and charter schools would lead to better American educational systems for all students.…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Public Schools Vs Charter Schools
    • 1515 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Public Schools Vs Charter Schools

    In reviewing the literature surrounding charter school enrollment, it is essential to investigate potential relationships with other school-related variables, such as racial segregation, academic achievement, and academic opportunities. Moreover, the context of charter schools suggests that enrollment in charter schools are correlated with gentrification in some neighborhoods, thereby answering the question: Who exercises school choice? As per Jordan and Gallagher (2015), white upper-income parents are more likely to exercise school choice, since low-income families face several constraints that affect their ability to exercise school choice. Furthermore, Jordan and Gallagher cite various qualitative studies indicating that gentrifiers often…

    • 1515 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Charter Schools
    • 694 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Charter Schools

    Charter schools are publicly funded school started by individuals who seek a difference in education than traditional public schools. Urban education has its advantages and disadvantages overall, but charter schools disadvantages are going to be my main focus. Student demographic can play a huge part in the downfall of charter schools because it is less diverse. Based on student demographics, the quality of teaching is also a negative impact especially on the students learning experience. Funding for charter schools has a lot of stipulations, but need more stipulations on how the money is spent because student can and will be affected in numerous of ways such as less high quality teachers replaced with more low quality teachers, less funding for an adequate learning experience, and less support from others to maintain a suitable learning environment. Therefore,…

    • 694 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Impact Of Charter Schools On Public Schools
    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Impact Of Charter Schools On Public Schools

    Although, these are typical scenarios in charter schools, they strive to maintain the highest level of education to prevent closure of the institution. Since there are standards to be met, these schools do their best to attain the sets of objectives each year, so they can continue to serve their students who deserve to receive quality…

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    School Consolidation Debate
    • 2430 Words
    • 10 Pages

    School Consolidation Debate

    Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. (2009). Does Charter School Competition Improve Traditional Public Schools? Retrieved from http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/cr_10.htm…

    • 2430 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Argumentative Essay On Charter Schools
    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Argumentative Essay On Charter Schools

    The following manuscript focuses on charter schools and the legislation related to charter schools. A focus will be on policy and the major driving force the policy and how it affects academic achievement across the state. The controversial charter school is one proposed method to provide a better education to students.…

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More

Related Topics