What exactly are Charter Schools?
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There’s a new school
in your neighborhood!
Join us for kindergarten at
AF Legacy Elementary in St. Albans.
achievementfirst.org/EnrollNY
718-265-1437
Charter School
BY ALEX MITCHELL
In places like the Bronx and
elsewhere, there is a viable
alternative to public and private
education – charter schools.
But, what exactly are charter
schools and how do they differ
and align with other methods
of education?
According to publiccharters.
org, a national website promoting
the growth of such
academies, all charter schools
are tuition-free public schools,
“which are open to all students,
regardless of their zip code.”
“The charter school model
empowers teachers to provide
innovative, high-quality
instruction and gives them the
autonomy to design a classroom
that fits their students’
needs,” according to the website.
In the U.S., charter schools
exist in 44 out of the 50 states,
enrolling 3.3 million students
and 219,000 teachers into 7,500
schools across America. There
are currently $440,000 million
invested in funding for charter
schools nationwide.
However, the state of New
York has a “cap” on the amount
of charter schools allowed to
operate statewide at a total of
460, with an even tighter grip
on ones being able to operate
in New York City, according
to the New York City Charter
School Center.
These sort of schools are also
led by “dynamic principals,”
with the flexibility to “create a
school culture that fosters student
performance and parent
satisfaction.”
Nationwide, charter schools
operate under a contract with
an authorizer, many of which
create a charter through a nonprofit
organization, government
agency or university.
It is this charter which holds
schools accountable to “the
high standards” outlined in
such a binding agreement – in
New York, charter schools are
districtly funded and are eligible
to raise money through
private means.
Charter schools are commonly
led by former teachers
“who wanted to take the lessons
they learned in the classroom
and apply those lessons
to an entire school,” according
to publiccharters.org.
The over 7,000 nationwide
schools themselves are often
unique from one another in
appearance and curriculum;
most are city based though
some exist in more rural areas
too.S
ome focus on college prep,
while others delve into a STEM
curriculum or focus more on
arts.
Some charter schools
require uniforms and hours for
learning vary longer or shorter,
there are also many which
institute a bilingual curriculum.
“The possibilities are endless,
but charter schools aim
to provide a range of options
so that parents can choose
the public school that best fits
their child,” publiccharters.org
published.
“Charter schools provide
families with options in public
education, allowing parents
to take a more active role in
their child’s education,” the
site added.
These kind of schools have
seen bipartisan political support
since first incepted in Minnesota
during the year 1991.
Getty Images
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