Charter School Pros & Myths

 

Charter School Pros & Myths

Though charter schools have been common in California for decades, there are still some misunderstandings about what exactly they are and how they benefit families and communities. For more information on how charter schools began and how they’re governed, take a look at this important article called What is a Charter School? Below we'll examine the upside of charter schools in California, as well as some myths about them.

Charter School Pros

1 – Charter schools give choices to families

“Choice” is an important word when it comes to charter schools. While students are generally assigned to a traditional public school based on their home address, the geographic boundaries for enrolling in a charter school are much more broad. If a family can only afford to live in a neighborhood whose local district schools are not performing to their standards, charter schools offer another option, ultimately ensuring that a family’s zip code does not determine or limit the quality of education their children can receive.

2 – Charter schools foster innovation

Charter schools are independently managed, publicly funded schools operating under a signed charter or contract with a governing body, such as the state, county, or local school district, which allows them autonomy and flexibility not often found in traditional public schools. Under supervision of the charter authorizer, charter school administrators can make decisions about budgeting, staffing, resources, and curriculum that best aligns with the needs of their student populations, often allowing charter schools to craft more innovative education models designed to prepare students for college and career success.

3 – Charter schools help the entire community

Many charter schools, like Options For Youth, partner with districts to provide personalized support to students with needs that can’t be met in traditional learning models. By providing specialized help to students that have fallen behind, have special needs, or require other accommodations, charter schools improve overall learning outcomes within a community. Charter schools that are specially designed to help students who are at risk of dropping out can save the state millions of dollars. In 2007, UC Santa Barbara published research findings that determined the state of California gains $3 or more in economic benefit for every $1 spent on dropout prevention programs.

Myths About Charter Schools

1 – Charter schools take money from public schools

The most common misconception about charter schools is that they divert funds from traditional public school districts that need them. It is important to remember that state funding benefits individual students, not schools; California distributes funding to schools on a per-pupil basis. If a student or parent doesn't feel they are receiving a quality education, or they have unique personal or family circumstances, they are entitled to take their funds to a different school that is better suited to their needs.

2 – Charter schools are less accountable

Charter schools are actually held to a much higher degree of oversight than traditional public schools. Per state law, California charter schools have to regularly prove financial responsibility and academic value, or else they risk being closed (unlike non-charter schools which can operate unchecked for decades). In exchange for the greater degree of autonomy mentioned above, charter school operations are fully transparent to community stakeholders. Charter schools must perform according to the standards outlined in their petition—these might include attendance and expulsion rates, matriculation rates, college and career preparation investment, failure to maintain enrollment, and so on. If a charter school doesn’t adhere to the terms of their petition, the authorizer can mandate investigation, program adjustments, or even closure.

3 – Charter schools “steal” the highest performing students from traditional schools

While it’s true that some types of charter schools, often magnet schools, have been known to attract the best performing and or most affluent students from traditional public schools, most charter schools in California are designed to serve at-risk student populations. Options For Youth, for example, caters specifically to students who require personalized support, flexible schedules, or other accommodations that have prevented them from finding success in traditional school environments.

For more information about Options For Youth programming, visit ofy.org.