Why Should My Child Attend a Charter School?: 5 Ways Public Charter Schools Benefit A Diverse Population

Public education has come a long way in its relatively short life, although it continues to be improved. One prime example are charter schools, or publicly funded independent schools, founded by teachers, parents, and other community leaders under terms with a local or national authority. However, recent studies have shown that they are especially beneficial to children from poor families, English-as-a-second-language students, people of color, and other minorities.

Charter schools are educational facilities that operate independently of regional school districts through contracts, or charters, through state or local boards (Caffee). They offer many advantages to traditional public schools are are often able to cater to a more diverse group of student needs and talents.

Educators understand not all students have the same external resources. Children from wealthier or majority families have more resources than those from a less privileged environment. However, in a charter school setting, these differences are not accentuated and teaching and outside assignments can be tailored to individual student needs.

Charter schools maintain the same rigorous standards as traditional schools, in a more individualized setting. Without lowering the educational standards, charter schools throw away the notion "cookie cutter" teaching methods, allowing students to learn more at their own pace and fully grasp the concept.

Not being directly government-mandated, charter schools hold more personal accountability. Unlike traditional public schools who can often pass their failures back up the bureaucracy ladder, charter schools depend on the success rates of their students to maintain funding and enrollment. If funding is mismanaged or the quality of the education dwindles, then the facility can be shut down.

Charter schools often boast smaller class sizes due to the admissions process. English-as-a-second-language students, as well as other minority students who make come from an under-educated background, will often need special attention that the conventional setting may not be able to offer.

Students, parents, and the school operators themselves have more choice in the curriculum. A feeling of submission often looms over the traditional classroom setting while trying to teach according to their standards, focusing on compliance rather than what they should - academic excellence.

For example, in a charter school, if a teacher recognizes that a class is struggling with a topic, he has the opportunity to hone in on problem areas.

Caffee, A. (2017, October 3). Charter Schools vs. Public Schools. Retrieved from https://www.niche.com/blog/charter-schools-vs-public-schools/

What are your experiences in charter schools? Do you feel like they are more beneficial to a diverse population or do they inhibit learning potential?