Multiple Choice

Charter school, like public schools, are free and plentiful in North Texas, but here’s why some parents choose the charter school route

WORDS ASHLEY HAYS-WEAVER

CYNTHIA CAMPOS RECALLS THE DAY her daughter Anissa received her acceptance letter to the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts (FWAFA). “You would have thought she just got into an elite college. She was screaming and crying,” Campos says with a chuckle.

Campos was living in Aledo at the time and looking to move back to Fort Worth, but says the determining factor was whether or not Anissa could get into a charter school. “Every time I looked up stats for the district we would be entering,” Campos explains, “it just didn’t line up with what we were getting in Aledo.”

Ally Pires Tooley of Flower Mound says that charter schools landed on her radar once her son Nixon was preparing to enter kindergarten. “Our son is gifted,” she shares. “We live in Lewisville ISD, which is a great district. However, Founders Classical Academy offered that extra structure and support that he needed to really be challenged.”

As 2019 enrollment numbers for Texas charter schools nearly tripled those of 2012, it’s clear that more parents are opting for those campuses. While charter schools are educating only 6.3% of Texas students, the stats reflect increasing interest.

THE CHARTER COURSE

Since they are public, there can be confusion on how charter schools operate compared to independent school district campuses. Both are overseen by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and credentialed in factors including state accreditation, financial ratings and academic ratings. Charters are held accountable to the same academic standards, using State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR testing. (Charter schools that don’t meet academic or financial standards for three consecutive years must close. Traditional public schools with academic

struggles have five years before state intervention, such as replacing campus personnel.) Like traditional public schools, there isn’t an option for faith-based curriculum, and charters are tuition-free campuses.

With those basics in mind, here are five factors to consider.

ALL ABOUT ADMISSIONS

There is a short, statewide admission application for open-enrollment charter schools; that application covers basic information on prospective students. Generally, charters serve students from designated geographic areas. (That was not the case when pandemic-driven virtual academies served students from all over Texas.) Boundaries tend to be extremely wide.

“Most parents who have called us and applied are within the boundary,” says Rebecca Good, Ed.D., recently retired CEO and superintendent of Legacy Preparatory Charter Academy, which enrolls K–12 students at campuses in Plano and Mesquite. “We serve from Melissa up in the north to Duncanville and DeSoto in the south, and from Farmers Branch and Irving out to almost Greenville. The area is huge.”

It is not uncommon in charters for more students to apply than the number of spots available. In that case, the charter either holds a lottery for open positions or fills spots in the order applications were received. In the lottery system, applications are selected at random. Once seats have been filled, remaining applicants go on a waitlist. If a seat becomes available, the next application is again blindly chosen to fill the void.

Charter schools with a fine-arts specialization may require an audition as part of the process. Diversity is another reason a parent may pursue a charter school education for their child. The Texas Public Charter Schools Association reports that public charter schools in Texas “have nearly double the rate of Hispanic teachers and four to five times as many Asian and Black teachers” compared to traditional school districts. Charters also enroll more children of color.

So-called restorative practices are sometimes credited for lower discipline rates at charters. Rather than direct punitive measures, restorative practices may include talking circles, peer mediation and one-on-one counseling. While this approach may be used in public schools, it is often associated with charter schools.

When it comes to parental involvement, charter schools are required to develop Family Engagement Plans, as are school districts. Campos says parental involvement is highly encouraged at her daughter’s school. “There are always opportunities for us to be involved in what our children are learning, whether that’s through helping them practice or study, or watching a performance.”

ACADEMIC APPROACH

In terms of student grades, charters operate under the same A–F point scale system as traditional public schools, and the graduation requirements are the same. Charter school families, though, may find more latitude in how classes are structured and learning is approached.

“We follow state curriculum, but we’re able to package it in a way that’s more appealing to the kids,” says Good. “We use a lot of projectbased learning.”

Charter schools are not permitted to discriminate against students with disabilities, and 8% of students in Texas public charters have special needs. Meanwhile, a charter doesn’t have to offer gifted and talented programs, but if it does, the campus must adhere to state policies. Most high school charters offer honors, Advanced Placement and dual-credit classes.

But smaller classes aren’t guaranteed. While there are statewide guidelines pertaining to class size, charters are not bound by those limits.

While many charter campuses have extensive arts programs (such as band, choir and dance), robust athletics programs are less common. The Texas Charter School Academic & Athletic League schedules charter-to-charter volleyball, basketball, soccer and track competitions—but sports tend to be smaller and less competitive. “When you’re a smaller school, you do have potentially less extracurricular options than a large comprehensive high school, where they can afford to offer more,” says Cooper. “We can offer extracurriculars, but it’s going Find a Charter to be more catered and limited to what [students] want.” Want to find a charter school Of course, not every school will near you? Search “charter offer the activities, or quality of locator map” on the TEA activities, a family considers imporwebsite, tea.texas.gov. tant. Misti McCalip’s children attended a Fort Worth charter school for four years before returning to traditional public school, and slim program offerings played a role in the decision. “[My children’s charter school] just didn’t have enough funding for things like band, athletics, art, special needs or gifted programs,” she says.

CLASS SIZES

Many parents who go the charter route are looking for a smaller student-to-teacher ratio and more personal learning environment. Brady Cooper, Grand Prairie’s Uplift Grand Preparatory High School academic director, says that’s the case at his school.

“As principal, I know most of my scholars’ families,” Cooper says, adding that “in general, charter schools are going to be smaller than traditional public schools, which can definitely give you much more of a family feel.”

But smaller classes aren’t guaranteed. While there are statewide guidelines pertaining to class size, charters are not bound by those limits.

CAMPUS CULTURE

Diversity is another reason a parent may pursue a charter school education for their child. The Texas Public Charter Schools Association reports that public charter schools in Texas “have nearly double the rate of Hispanic teachers and four to five times as many Asian and Black teachers” compared to traditional school districts. Charters also enroll more children of color.

So-called restorative practices are sometimes credited for lower discipline rates at charters. Rather than direct punitive measures, restorative practices may include talking circles, peer mediation and one-on-one counseling. While this approach may be used in public schools, it is often associated with charter schools.

When it comes to parental involvement, charter schools are required to develop Family Engagement Plans, as are school districts. Campos says parental involvement is highly encouraged at her daughter’s school. “There are always opportunities for us to be involved in what our children are learning, whether that’s through helping them practice or study, or watching a performance.”

EXTRA- AND COCURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

While many charter campuses have extensive arts programs (such as band, choir and dance), robust athletics programs are less common. The Texas Charter School Academic & Athletic League schedules charter-to-charter volleyball, basketball, soccer and track competitions—but sports tend to be smaller and less competitive.

“When you’re a smaller school, you do have potentially less extracurricular options than a large comprehensive high school, where they can afford to offer more,” says Cooper. “We can offer extracurriculars, but it’s going to be more catered and limited towhat [students] want.”

Of course, not every school will offer the activities, or quality of activities, a family considers important. Misti McCalip’s children attended a Fort Worth charter school for four years before returning to traditional public school, and slim program offerings played a role in the decision. “[My children’s charter school] just didn’t have enough funding for things like band, athletics, art, special needs or gifted programs,” she says.

CONSIDER YOUR OPTIONS

The bottom line is that parents and students have choices, and it’s important to research potential schools. There are excellent charter schools and then some that aren’t so good, as is true with other forms of education. Furthermore, each child has individual needs and interests, and there is no “one size fits all.”

Tooley is happy to have the freedom to choose. “I appreciate that we now have a system that allows parents to be flexible with their children and look into what they need at the moment in order to have a child that grows and truly blossoms.”