What are your opinions on charter schools?

NOT · #1 08-20-2011, 10:08 PM

I began going to one about seven months ago, and I love it.

I want to know how others feel about charter schools.

fdeck · #2 08-20-2011, 10:24 PM

From what I've read, some charter schools are good and some are bad. So it's hard to have an opinion about charters as a category. I'm of the opinion that involved, educated parents are the foundation of good schools.

**colcifer** · #3 08-21-2011, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fdeck

From what I've read, some charter schools are good and some are bad. So it's hard to have an opinion about charters as a category. I'm of the opinion that involved, educated parents are the foundation of good schools.

That's about the jist of it (that they circumvent union rules helps too though

).

MakiSupaStar · #4 08-21-2011, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colcifer

That's about the jist of it (that they circumvent union rules helps too though

).

Charters can work within the union. Additionally, their success is not dependent upon whether or not their teachers are union.

To the OP. Can you share with us the difference between your typical public school and your charter school? Do you think it's better, from a student perspective?

hrodbert696 · #5 08-21-2011, 06:04 AM

I used to work for one, teaching Latin. It broke down because the founder had a great educational vision but was a lousy manager, so the board fired him, and then the board hired people that may have been OK managers but had no concept what the vision was and it just turned into another failing school.

Some of them are great if they're well run and have a clear sense of what makes them unique alternatives. The majority of them fail to bring any improvement to kids' education. I seem to keep hearing of "technology-oriented" charter schools which seem to be sponsored by computer companies. I'm suspicious of them, I suspect that they're just a way for the companies to have a captive market for their products. I never heard of a kid getting smarter by spending more time staring at a computer screen.

Relic · #6 08-21-2011, 06:08 AM

It can all depend on the teacher regardless of whether it's charter, parochial, or public. Thus far though, the experiences I've had with my kids here in the public school system has left me pretty much despising public schools here and leaning towards charter schools.
Not really so much that all of the public school teachers were bad - not by a long shot, some are amazing. It's just that when you do come across one that's terrible and it's having an impact on your child yet you can't do a damn thing about it because this person's protected by a corrupt political organization/pseudo union, you get a little testy...
Of course this is pretty off topic within this thread but coincidentally my wife and I were just co-ranting about this not more than 5 mins ago.
Sorry

carry on!

fdeck · #7 08-21-2011, 08:15 AM

It's also worth knowing where the OP is from. The quality of public schools varies a lot from state to state and within different localities. Generalizations about schools in one state don't necessarily apply to another.

**colcifer** · #8 08-21-2011, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Charters can work within the union. Additionally, their success is not dependent upon whether or not their teachers are union.

Very true; my point was that they have more options.