Charter Schools vs. Traditional School free essay sample

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 â€Å"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 â€Å"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. We will write a custom essay sample on Charter Schools vs. Traditional School or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 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 with the community (p. 20).Charter schools are run by independent boards that, because of the lack of government regulation, get a great deal of control in setting the curriculum and teaching methods used in a particular school (Hassel, 1999). Much like traditional public schools, charter schools receive fund ing based on their student enrollment. As long as a charter school fulfills the terms of their contract their charter will not be revoked (Good Braden, 2000). Charters are infrequently revoked because of poor student performance. Only our percent of granted charters have been revoked nationally and that termination usually stems from poor financial management. Similar to traditional public schools, charter schools have to submit a yearly report of finances, and indices of progress toward educational goals and parental and student satisfaction (Fusarelli, 2002). The differences between charter schools and traditional public schools are many. The first major difference is size, as the average enrollment at a charter school is only 300 students.Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools can lengthen the school day, apply a dress code or uniforms, theme the school’s curriculum around a particular subject, and even operate as a single-sex institution (Fusarelli, 2002). Charter schools also can feature non-typical grade configurations, the employment of certified and non-certified instructors and a favorable student-to-computer ratio (Wronkovich, 2000). Advantages and Disadvantages What are the adva ntages and disadvantages associated with charter schools?The answer to the aforementioned question depends a lot on whom you ask. People who favor the formation of charter schools suggest that allowing the school to function without the limitations put on traditional public schools by local and state government will allow educators and administrators the flexibility to create effective education programs for students. They also claim that the risk of having their charter revoked makes the school more accountable to parents, students and the surrounding community (Fusarelli, 2002).Just because charter schools do not have to abide by many state restrictions does not mean that they have unlimited flexibility. Entrepreneurial opportunities that allow educators flexibility run into roadblocks because many states do not fully release charter schools from all state regulations. The potential autonomy within a charter school can also become consumed when people who open charters are ill-prepared for the pressures of running a school on a daily basis (Good Braden, 2000).Accountability is another idea that can be quest ioned. As pointed out by Fusarelli (2002), only 4 percent of charter schools nationwide have their charter revoked and only a minority of that four percent is actually revoked for not meeting academic goals that are set out in the charter. Even though charter school advocates would likely claim this as a victory in their favor, few charter schools actually have concrete plans for demonstrating this accountability (Good Braden, 2000).The idea of competition between charter schools and traditional public schools is one that is often debated. Proponents of charter schools suggest that the existence of charter schools alone can stimulate reform of the public school system. Nathan (1996) proposes that allowing more than one organization the chance to provide public education can create wider educational improvements, not only for those who decide to attend a charter school but also for those who stay in the traditional schools.There is research that backs this claim as public schools in Flagstaff, Arizona, Douglas County Colorado, Battle Creek, Michigan and Boston, Massachusetts took measures after charter schools were formed such as adding magnet schools to their district and creating gifted and talented programs (Wronko vich, 2000). Some say that providing public money to private or parochial institutions would also stimulate improvement in traditional public schools. The difference between private/parochial schools and charter schools, however is that the former desire to select which students they want to serve at whatever cost they deem appropriate. This is something that most schools that receive public funding cannot do, thus subsidizing private and parochial schools would promote unfair competition, which is not the case in funding a charter school. (Nathan, 1996). Opponents of competition in the arena of public education argue that competition does not help public education because â€Å"schools do not operate as markets do† and that funds dedicated to charter schools are funds that are being taken directly away from traditional public schools (Fusarelli, 2002, p. 0). Admissions policies The law states that all the charter schools must conduct fair and open admissions, and recruit all segments of the community they serve. However, the problem arises when the number of students seeking admission is more than the number that can be admitted. In this scenario, many charter schools use a lottery system or keep waiting lists. The school charter will state explicitly how their registration process will go.