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 very best approach to academics that
fits their students.
Though teachers have flexibility, charter
schools are held accountable for levels of
high academic achievement. If charter institutions
underperform, they can be closed.
Charter Schools Have Ample
Funding
$16,123 is spent per pupil at New York’s
charter schools (as per most recent NYSED
Public School Data). Though this is less
than the average funding per pupil in traditional
district schools, charter schools
and teachers clearly make the most out of
their budget.
This funding by not-for-profit Boards
of Trustees means that parents of charter
students don’t have to spend money out
of their own pockets to ensure their child
receives a great education!
Charter School’s Don’t Pick
Their Students
New York City’s charter schools admit
students through a lottery system; they
cannot select their students. This process
gives students from all backgrounds and
education levels an equal opportunity to
attend and achieve academic success at
charter schools.
Charter Students have had
Access to Great Schooling Despite
COVID-19
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit
New York, charter schools across the
five boroughs immediately transitioned
to remote learning that adapted to the
students in each classrooms’ needs.
75% of New York’s charter schools had
PHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES
created a remote learning procedure before
the March 2020 lockdown. Charter
students only had to wait an average of
three days to begin remote learning after
in-person learning was closed.
Both charter students and teachers had
the tools to continue learning and teaching
from home. 80% of New York charter
schools provided students with devices
for remote learning before schools were
closed and 98% of New York’s charter
school teachers had the technology to
conduct remote instruction.
Charter schools have been able to keep
students accountable and maintain a high
level of learning despite COVID-19 and
its ramifications on education. 85% of
New York’s charter schools continued to
introduce new learning content to students
through the pandemic and charter
schools were three times more likely to
take attendance during remote classes
compared to traditional schools.
Charter schools also expanded
non-academic programs such as socialemotional
counseling and family outreach
during the pandemic. 75% of charter
teachers increased their office hours during
remote learning and 91% of charter
teachers increased their time spent on
communication with families during the
pandemic.
10 March 18, 2021 Schneps Media