Current Issues in Education: Charter Schools

1. Current Issues in Education:Charter Schools Ryan Sickle Ivy Tech Community College

2. INTASC Standards, Description, and Rationale:Standard #5: Application of ContentThe teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.Artifact: Current Issues in Education Research Project Date: April 18, 2013 Class: EDUC101 • Description: For the Current Issues in Education Research Project assignment, I chose to present a PowerPoint project on the topic of “Charter Schools” in a way that utilized my creativity while engaging learners in critical thinking. • Rationale To document my understanding of Standard #5, Application of Content, I selected my Current Issues in Education Research Project because this assignment demonstrates my ability to engage learners in critical thinking through creativity and provide some facts for learners to form their personal views on an important issue.

3. Background Information • The charter school idea in the United States was originated by Ray Budde, a professor at the University Of Massachusetts, Amherst and embraced by Albert Shanker, President of the American Federation of Teachers, in 1988 when he called for the reform of the public schools by establishing "charter schools" or "schools of choice". • As originally conceived, the ideal model of a charter school was as a legally and financially autonomous public school(without tuition, religious affiliation, or selective student admissions) that would operate much like a private business—free from many state laws and district regulations, and accountable more for student outcomes rather than for processes or inputs. • Minnesota was the first state to pass a charter school law in 1991. California was second, in 1992. Today, most states have laws on charter schools.

4. Chartering Authorities • Chartering authorizers or the entities that may legally issue charters differ from state to state – the State Board of Education, local school districts, independent charter-authorizing body, or a combination of two or more of these • According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, many states have some type of limits, or caps, on charter schools; these states restrict the number of charter schools that may be authorized and/or the number of students a single school can enroll *In Indiana, local school corporations, public universities, and the Mayor of Indianapolis all have authority to issue a charter

5. Laws Governing Charter Schools • Generally speaking, public charter schools are subject to many of the same federal, constitutional, statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to other public schools. However, the precise application of these laws depends on the status of the charter school under the specific provisions of federal law and the state charter schools legislation. • Charter school laws greatly vary from state to state. These differences largely fall under the categories of what types of public agencies are permitted to authorize the creation of charter schools, whether or not and how private schools can convert to charter schools, and whether or not charter school teachers need to be certified and what that consists of. • http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/2004/title20/ar5.5/

6. Guiding Principles Operational Autonomy: • They will operate as autonomous public schools, through waivers from many of the procedural requirements of district public schools. • These waivers do not mean a school is exempt from the same educational standards set by the State or district • Autonomy can be critically important for creating a school culture that maximizes student motivation by emphasizing high expectations, academic rigor, discipline, and relationships with caring adults. Accountability for Achievement: • The rules and structure of charter schools depend on state authorizing legislation and differ from state to state. A charter school is authorized to function once it has received a charter, a statutorily defined performance contract detailing the school's mission for success. • Charter schools are held accountable to their sponsor—a local school board, state education agency, university, or other entity—to produce positive academic results and adhere to the charter contract.

7. National Statistics on Charter Schools • A total of 531 new charter schools opened for the 2012-13 school year, pushing the total number of charter schools across the nation to 6,004 and overall enrollment to 2,326,542 students, according to estimates announced January 16, 2013, by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. • The number of school districts across the country where charter schools account for at least 10 percent of the enrollment rose to 110 in 2011-12, the report also says 7 districts enroll at least 30 percent of their students in charter schools and 25 school districts have more than 20 percent charter school enrollment.

8. Questions for Discussion • Do you believe schools with lower enrollment and smaller class sizes provide a better overall environment for educators and learners? • As a future teacher, would you rather work in a school with strict guidelines to follow when it comes to the way you teach and what you teach OR a school with a more open approach to the way teachers can be teach and be innovative?

9. References • National Charter School Resource Center. www.charterschoolcenter.org. Retrieved from: http://www.charterschoolcenter.org/ • National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. www.publiccharters.com. Retrieved from: http://www.publiccharters.org/About-Charter-Schools/What-are-Charter-Schools003F.aspx • The Indianapolis Office of Education Innovation – Charter Schools. www.indy.gov. Retrieved from: http://www.indy.gov/OEI/Pages/faq.aspx