Charter School & School Choice

1. Charter School & School Choice EDN 200 November 13, 2006

2. Today’s Plan • Article Reflection • School Choice • Charter Schools • Final Reflection Paper

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Public Attitudes* • Do you favor or oppose allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense? (your child?) PDK/Gallup, 2006

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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

13. What Are Charter Schools? • Under state mandated standardized testing regulations • In theory, Charters exchange autonomy for accountability* US DOE, 2000

14. Charter Schools* • Have differing rules by state for the certification of teachers • Tend to be small – median enrollment of 130-150 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

15. 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? PDK/Gallup, 2006

16. 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

17. 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?

18. 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.

19. 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