Exploration
One Size Doesn’t Fit All Charter schools provide choice beyond the status quo by Jonathan Oglesby, Director of Public Relations, The Center for Education Reform
At least 100,000 children around the country have an opportunity to attend a quality school of choice that they did not have last year, thanks to the 355 new charter schools that opened their doors for the 2008-2009 school year. According to our research at the Center for Education Reform (CER), the number of charter schools operating in the U.S. has grown to almost 4,600 and serve more than 1.4 million students. Nearly 18 years since the first charter school opened, individual state data indicates that charter schools are outpacing their conventional public school peers with fewer resources and tremendous obstacles. Waiting lists for charter schools throughout the country far exceed the available slots in many schools, proving year in and year out that parents want a choice in their child’s education, and that charter schools are filling that void. Last year, CER’s annual survey of the country’s charter schools showed a 33 percent increase in the size of applicant waiting lists over 2007. In Texas, almost 17,000 students remain on waiting lists. In New York City, that number is 39,629 (twice as many as last year). Even in Rhode Island the ratio of applicants to available slots is six to one, with some schools experiencing a ten to one ratio. Kevin Chavous, noted charter school champion and CER Distinguished Fellow, recently discussed the importance of embracing charter school growth as a remedy for an ailing education system, writing:
“The winds of change are blowing as it relates to education in this country. National opinion polling, focus group studies, and the proverbial word on the street suggest that everyday people are sick and tired of the growing deficits they see in the children who are being educated in our traditional public schools. Folks are no longer accepting of the status quo—nor should they be. The status quo is frightening and the statistics don’t lie. Against this backdrop, charter schools have emerged as a beacon of hope for parents and students alike. The beauty of a charter school is that it grants authority to a handful of community members to give shape to their creative vision. For this reason, charters tend to have widely diverse missions and approaches to education, and to some extent these varying approaches have led to their success. The
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photos by Joshua Dunn
Exploration
diverse, yet focused, curriculum designs offered by many charters also explode the one-size-fits-all paradigm by meeting kids where they are academically and according to their individual interests, as opposed to force fitting kids into a system that may not meet their needs. Indeed, some of the most stunning examples of charter school success are precisely those that have figured out how to adapt to the individual needs of individual children.
At the same time, many successful charter schools have striking commonalities in the underlying principles that contribute to their overall success. These core principles, grounded in a culture of accountability and high expectations, create an environment conducive to learning and to kids fulfilling their potential.” Despite the continual growth of charter schools in the United States, both special interests and a lack of awareness in some areas still work against their widespread availability. By definition, though, charter schools are great public schools. Some, like Chicago International, are already there. Some are still working at it. Like any relatively new innovation, however, the kinks are part of the experience that can make all aspects of schooling better. And that is perhaps the most salient reason that charter schools now serve students in larger percentages than any other single reform of public education to date. This great public education innovation is delivering on the promise of what makes a great public school.
The winds of change are blowing as it relates to education in this country. A successful charter school makes sure to… • • • • •
Meet and exceed parents’ expectations Be large enough to have variety Be small enough to create the kind of community culture that has been linked to successful education Serve those who are most in need Make no excuses
BOTTOM RIGHT: A CICS Northtown teacher assists students with homework questions. Remaining photos: Students hard at work in their study hall session.
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