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Caribbean Life, MARCH 19-25, 2021 19
Charter Schools
Here are some benefits of enrolling
your child in a charter school
By HANNAH MALLARD
Charter schools are independentlyoperated
public schools accountable for
advancing student achievement.
New York City’s 267 charter schools
are independent of the New York City
Department of Education, but if they
don’t meet certain student achievement
standards, they can be closed. This
combination of freedom and accountability
allows charter teachers to adapt
their classrooms based on their students’
needs while pushing for high
academic achievement.
There are currently 138,613 charter
students in New York City. This population
makes up 13% of New York City’s
public school students. 79% of these
students are economically disadvantaged
students. (Numbers are based on
preliminary enrollment for the 2020-21
school year.
New York City’s charter schools have
become a popular option for many students,
especially from minority and
economically disadvantaged families.
Charter schools offer students opportunities
for academic success that unfortunately
cannot be said for some of the
city’s public schools.
We’ve included a list of charter school
benefits below to help you and your
family consider if a charter school is the
right fit for your student!
NYC Charters Outperform
Other Public Schools
According to statistics from New York
state exams in 2019, 63% of charter students
in grades three through eight passed
the state math exam and 57% of charter
students were proficient in English Language
Arts.
New York’s charter students outperformed
their peers from traditional public
schools: 46% of traditional public
school students passed the state math
exam and 47% of these students were
proficient in English Language Arts.
NYC Charters Do Not
Succeed at the Expense of
District Schools
A common myth is that as New York’s
charter schools succeed, the city’s traditional
public schools fail as a result.
A 2018 study by the Manhattan Institute
concluded that “competition from
New York City charter schools has
either no effect, or a positive effect,” on
the city’s traditional public schools.
In fact, district schools have improved
significantly as charter schools have
spread throughout New York City’s five
boroughs. Funding for district schools
has also increased as the student population
at charter schools has gone up
over the years.
Charter Schools are
Specialized, with No Tuition
Costs
Charter teachers adapt their classrooms
and teaching methods to the
current needs of their students. This
freedom in the curriculum, teaching
style, school missions and policies
resembles that of private schools, enabling
charter schools to provide the
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