Business

Why the US still can’t agree on charter schools after 30 years

Whether it is student loan tha or book banEducation policy in the United States can be controversial.

One controversial educational policy dating back to the 1990s is charter schools.

A charter school is a public school funded by a private group. The group creates a contract with the state and local government that sets out specific accountability requirements. The government has the ability to close the school if it doesn’t meet those standards. Furthermore, these schools are exempt from some state laws and regulations that traditional public schools must follow, but they must meet educational standards.

Natalie Wiltshire, Executive Director at KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools, said: “We have more autonomy to be able to have more flexible budgets and make different academic decisions.

KIPP, which stands for “Knowledge Power Program,” is the largest chartered organization in the United States, according to the National Alliance of Charter Schools.

Nearly 3,000 students attend KIPP schools in Philadelphia. Admission is determined through a lottery system, with 97% of students identifying as black or African-American and 76% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

“KIPP has changed my life so much,” said Daniel Harris, a KIPP alumnus who is now a teacher at KIPP West Philadelphia Elementary. “My family has a lower income, but I know that’s not the case [my teachers] saw me as. They see me as someone who cares about learning, cares about their children’s future, and wants the best for themselves and those around them. That’s the reason for KIPP. “

At the institutional level, however, critics say charter schools harm the broader public school district, due to funding and transparency concerns.

“I oppose privately funded charter schools,” said Joseph Roy, superintendent of schools at the school district in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. “Don’t tell me you’re a public school if you’re not regulated by the public.”

When a child leaves a public school operated by the district, the tax money will follow the student to the charter school. Opponents of charter schools say that although students leave school, it does not reduce the costs of traditional public schools.

“What’s going to happen is there’s a downward spiral because when the money runs out with children, the services the school district has,” said Carol Burris, executive director of Network for Public Education, an advocacy group. can provide less and less,” said Carol Burris, executive director of Network for Public Education, an advocacy group. outspoken against charter schools. “So more and more parents are leaving for charter schools. And it puts some school districts in important places where they can’t really serve the kids they have.”

“We are running parallel school systems at the moment and at some point it will break,” says Burris.

See video above to find out why charter schools are still controversial.

Source link

news7h

News7h: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button