Local Control Outline

One of the reasons we consider or support charter schools is there is good chance that it could be one the things that will improve student's education achievements. Lots parents believe that it has enormous potential to improve achievement. We have seen that the competition

In the United States, the public and politics mostly control American education. There are a number of ways in which political control is exercised in education. One way the public controls education is by voting for representatives in the federal and state governments that legislate education policies. Another way the public influences education is by voting for local school boards. Lastly, parents exercise choice regarding what school their children attend by enrolling their kids in private or educate them at home using a home schooling program accredited by the local government.

A more recent educational reform program is the concept of school choice. Instead of being forced to attend the school chosen by the local district students would receive vouchers. Students would be able to take their voucher and apply the funds normally allocated to them at any school. Parents would be able to decide which school is the best for their children and students that would normally be trapped in a low-performing school could instead attend a different school. A problem with vouchers is that private schools are allowed to approve if a student can attend. The students that could benefit the most from moving to a private school could be refused admittance. Another issue is that higher income families would be more likely to use this program than lower income families that do not have the same values in education. Finally school vouchers would be taking money away from the public school system which would reduce the quality of education that the public schools could provide.

Charter schools have an interesting history with origins that are most often overlooked. Since the enactment of the first charter school legislation in Minnesota in 1991, charter schools have grown rapidly to over 6,000 in forty-two (42) states and the District of Columbia (Karp & Heitner, 2013; CREDO, 2013). Originally, charter schools were teacher-operated schools serving students struggling inside the traditional system (Karp & Heitner, 2013). Accordingly, charter schools were established to operate outside the reach of administrative bureaucracy and politicization among many city school boards (Karp & Heitner, 2013).

The idea that the United States is a Christian Nation has made religious minorities feel excluded. Many of these individuals challenged practices which they considered forms of formal religious establishment. The First Amendment says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This clause protects the citizens of the United States from laws which promote one religion over others. Several challenges have made their way to the Supreme Court who tend to protect religious minorities from this harmful assumption.

Since the first charter school opened in Minnesota in 1992 (Minnesota Dept. of Education Website), America has seen charter schools move from a fringe educational alternative to an accepted and useful tool in public education. It is clear that charter schools are continuing to grow in popularity and student population, even with conflicting evidence about their effectiveness. This review will evaluate the necessity for strong educational leadership, a clear educational charter with a defined vision and financial backing, and built-in mechanisms and criteria for accountability in establishing an effective charter school.

Friedman was not the only person who championed the idea of choice. Advocates for choice predicted that “choice would transform American education”, voucher school or charters. They believed that choice would “produce higher achievement” and that when “schools compete, all students gain.” What is some evidence of the achievement effects of charter schools? To what does Ravitch attribute the positive effects? Can these positive effects be achieved by public schools? Did competition between private and public schools improve both, as was the intention? (p. 295)

For too long, and for reasons that range from lack of district funding to inexperienced teachers and everything in between, too many public schools have been underserving and failing our children. Until fairly recently in this country’s educational history, the only option to public school was private schools, and this was a privilege that only the children of the wealthy and elite enjoyed. However, in the 1970s, the conception of charter schools, first posed by Ray Budde, an American university professor with a natural interest in organizational theory, began to take shape and take root across the U.S. As of the 2011-2012 school year, there were 2.1 million students enrolled in charter schools across the country; as of the 2012-2013 school year, there were almost 6,000 charter schools in the U.S. (eight states do not have any charter schools at all). Ohio has 353 charter schools, with performance ratings, or report cards, that are all over the map. Unfortunately, widely-ranging performance ratings across different charter schools are not unique to Ohio. While there are states that have higher performance ratings, there are also

Likewise, accolades given to such schools have created a fog or cloud effect to cause a distraction to mask the truth. Various polls and research indicate that though charter schools are held up to uphold higher educational standards, they seem to continuously fall short comparable to their nemesis, public schools. Reports based on each state statistically show that charter schools are closing in record numbers. Some charter schools do not even make it complete a whole academic year. Mismanagement of funds is the culprit to these charter schools closing. Once again, this may be another indication that could plausibly prove the point that the driving forces to operate such school may be financially driven and not the academic in itself. There is a notion that charter schools can “buy” their way into academic success. There is no guarantee that this has not or will not transpire. However, Hollywood dramatization of how affluent and prestigious private schools have the means to override or make officials “blind to certain things” may be the precursor for what charter schools are modeled after. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the fact charter schools were originally designed to provide a better education for underprivileged students of lower income areas. These are the same schools that vowed to provide an exceptional education to those most in need. To have them be academically

The Establishment Clause deals with where the state and religion are separated, in other words the separation of church and state. In this clause, it allows citizens to be able to worship whatever religion they desire and the government could not interfere. This meant that one could not worship any area that was supported by the government such as schools, extra-curricular activities, and of course any governmental entity. The pledge of allegiance was taken out, prayer was taken out as well.

Public School Choice is an easy program to understand and it contains many advantages but also many disadvantages. Public School Choice is when parents can elect to send their children out of a school that has not made adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years into a school that has made progress. (McClure, 2002) If there are no available schools within the original school district, then a family can choose to send their children to another district. This only happens when the other schools in the original district are all labeled as ‘underachieving schools’ and have not made the adequate yearly progress. (McClure, 2002)

I feel that I am unqualified to answer this question due to me having no experience with charter schools.

Charter schools are a relatively new concept for education in the United States. Originally, states created charter schools through legislation in Minnesota in 1991 (Raymond). The schools gained in popularity as more states began passing laws to allow their creation. By 2012, 41 states have charter schools, and they educated over two million students (Sanchez). Regardless of a person’s opinion about these institutions, they undoubtedly have a large impact on education in the United States. In recent years, the number of charter schools has risen astronomically. Between 2003 and 2013, these schools increased from 3000 to 6500 (“Fast

Charter schools in exchange for this flexibility are supposed to be more accountable for outcomes than traditional public schools (Eastman, 2017). Therefore, unlike traditional public schools, charters are subject to immediate closure for non–performance by its authorizing body (e.g. management organizations, for-profits, or universities) (Betts & Tang, 2011). Nonetheless,

There are different types of education that a student may receive in today’s society. The choices are narrowed down into two main categories, public and private school. Many people in today’s society believe it’s better to send their children to private schools rather than public schools. To most parents deciding which school system will be better is based on curriculum, class size, and most of all cost. It’s not an easy choice for parents to decide, but many parents feel their child is worth receiving the best education offered.