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Deciding which educational institution is the best for your child can be a difficult choice to make. The abundance of options between California charter schools and public alternatives makes the situation even more confusing. Understanding the differences between the two can help parents find a place where their children can flourish. Here is a quick breakdown of charter schools and what makes them an effective alternative to traditional institutions.
Charter Starter
One primary source of confusion about charter schools is if they are public establishments. California charter schools are publicly funded academies, though they do not have to follow the same rules and guidelines as their alternatives. Initially conceived as a way to create smaller schools with a more student-oriented focus, these institutions have much more flexibility in how they can operate. Some of their key advantages include:
- Adaptable Staffing: Charter schools do not have unions, allowing them to make staffing changes when necessary.
- Experimental Curriculum: Teachers are not limited by state statutes and can create coursework better suited to their classroom demographics.
- Small Scale: Schools can apply new educational techniques that may eventually be incorporated into the traditional public framework.
Charter schools can have innovative new programming that can drastically change how students experience and interact with their learning environment. Facilitating the education of students in kindergarten through High School, these institutions must follow a specific set of goals and regulations as well as regularly prove their effectiveness.
Who Runs California Charter Schools?
While the local school boards may be run by elected officials, charter institutions don’t fall directly under their authority. Instead, many of them are run by non-profit organizations with their own unelected boards. This gives charter schools more freedom to operate outside of established curriculums and experiment with new ways to educate today’s youth.
While it may seem counterproductive to have private companies managing public schools, there are actually quite a few that are operated by elected officials as well. In LA, almost 20% of the charter academies are run by the Los Angeles School District. These institutions operate with district oversight but are allowed to be innovative in how they address educational challenges. With fewer operational and staffing restrictions, they can craft a faculty geared specifically for their unique student bodies.
How are Charter Schools Viewed in CA?
Charter schools in California have a rather complex history. The state has wholeheartedly embraced the system with over 1,200 schools opening since the idea’s inception in 1992. This is 70% more than Texas, the second-place haven for charters. Recent governors have even moved to expand the practice, including Governor Brown’s push for new charter facilities in Oakland.
Even so, there are many proponents of traditional education that find fault with how they operate. While the state teacher’s union and the California School Boards Association don’t disparage the idea of charter schools entirely, they and other organizations feel there needs to be more oversight into spending and educational regulations alongside limiting their growth.
Forming and Maintaining Charter Schools
In California, charter schools don’t just form on a whim. In order to begin enrolling students, a prospective institution has to follow certain steps to ensure it will meet the criteria set forth by the state. These can be broken down into four distinct phases, as follows:
- Building the Foundation: Collect a team and craft a cohesive mission and vision plan for education.
- Petition: In this phase, the prospective charter petitions for permission to run the school for five years, presenting a budget and building plan for the institution.
- Authorization: To obtain approval, the team must perform community outreach as well as present appeals, culminating with authorization.
- Start-Up: This phase is used to get the school up and running via hiring staff, processing enrollment, and preparing facilities.
In order to stay in operation, charter schools are reviewed for license renewal every five years. This process is to ensure some form of oversight and assessment of the institution’s accomplishments.
Finding Success with Charter Schools
While the differences between California charter schools and their traditional alternatives are important, it’s the parent’s decision on where their child attends classes. The abundance of charter options makes deciding on an institution a difficult task, but it’s important to remember that these unconventional schools can offer unique educational experiences to children of all ages. Look into the public curriculum as well as those for non-profit-run schools, and you’re sure to find one that helps your child become the best student they can be!