S
hould legislatures modify the Texas Education Code to regulate charter schools more strictly in
order to uphold curriculum standards and enforce separation of church and state?
Prepared by: Megan Flannery Submitted to: Beth Eakman CAPS 4630.20 Fall 2015
WHAT’S THE GAME PLAN?
Welcome to the first capstone paper to rely on visual rhetoric to better communicate ideas. Keep an eye out for me as you read; I’ll be your tour guide through this process!
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WHAT’S GOING ON?
The controversial debate surrounding Texas’ public school system has been exhaustive, prolonged, and ultimately futile. Part of why no new progress is being made toward improving Texas public schools is because of the complex, convoluted manner in which the information is often presented. The language of the legislation doesn’t benefit the students and their families. It is used by politicians to support their political agendas. To disrupt this pattern of tortuous language, I’ve decided to compose my capstone paper in a less-than-traditional manner. My belief is that the infographics and other visuals will present this debate in a way that is much more straight-forward and easier to comprehend. Many scholars have found the use of visuals to be beneficial when dealing with dense material.¹ We receive so much information from so many sources, that we often become overwhelmed by it. The Texas Education Code subsection on charter schools is 76 pages of text; the full code is even more time-consuming and extensive.² Infographics, on the other hand, are much more engaging and allow readers to understand and process the information much quicker. If those involved in the Texas school system don’t have at least a basic knowledge and understanding of how the education legislation works, then there is no way for them to communicate and advocate for the type of changes needed to remedy the problems that exist today. I hope this capstone creates a foundational understanding of the issue and also demonstrates how useful visuals can be when tackling intricate subject material, such as the Texas education legislation. 3
What’s up with the weird style?
Despite the abnormal design, the content is all rooted in thorough, scholarly research. To learn more about my sources, check out my Reference Guide!
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Let’s start at the beginning‌ 6
WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?
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WHAT ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS?
Remember: charter schools are not to be confused with private schools. Although charter schools have different governing boards than traditional public schools, they are still tuitionfree and receive state funding.
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WHAT DO THESE TERMS MEAN?
If you need additional explanations, check out my supplemental reference guide! 10
This includes both charter schools and traditional public schools (often referred to as TPS).
The part of the TEC that specifically addresses charter schools is Title 2, Subtitle C, Chapter 12.
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Now that we have a basic understanding of the topic, let’s take a look at the controversy‌ 12
WHAT ARE THE BIG CONCERNS?
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WHO’S INVOLVED?
As with most controversial subjects, it seems everyone has something to say about the charter school debate. However, for the purpose of this capstone, I'm just going to focus on the major players, who fall into three different teams: proponents, opponents, and others.
Let’s take a closer look at who specifically is involved…
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But who are these people?
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What do the proponents have to say about charter schools? 16
WHO ARE THE PROPONENTS?
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What do the opponents have to say about charter schools? 20
WHO ARE THE OPPONENTS?
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We’re familiar with the players and their values, but let’s take a look at their arguments… 24
Don’t forget!
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IS THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION REALLY THE SAME?
This could be on account of either academic or financial reasons. 15 This conclusion was established by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University, an impartial third-party. 16
This statement was based on data which also states that “on the mathematics, science, and social studies tests, passing raters were higher in traditional districts than standards charters.”
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According to Catherine Maloney, “analyses comparing the performance of new open-enrollment charter schools with their more established peers find that charter school student outcomes do not improve as schools gain more experience.”
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While this may be true of this specific charter school system, it does not necessarily apply to all
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of the other charter schools.
In order to decide who has the stronger argument, we have to analyze each side's argument.
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SHOULD CHARTER SCHOOLS RECEIVE THE SAME FUNDING?
This number is based on the weighted average daily attendance (WADA).
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Charter schools receive state funding that comes from “occupation taxes� but do not Since funding is mainly based on attendance,
receive revenue from local taxes.
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the funds still go to the students; the students are just at a charter school instead of a TPS.
Other studies have put this number closer to $250; others average it at $380.
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This is not true in all situations. In fact, some charter schools are actually able to pay their teachers more than TPS.
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DOES RELIGION COME INTO PLAY?
If students are misinformed in the classroom, it can lead to ignorance outside the classroom.
This ruling comes from the clause in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
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Though this is becoming more of a common practice, these schools are altering their curriculum and enrollment regulations to match those of a typical charter school.
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This comes from the same U.S. Department of Education document that requires charter school curriculum be “completely secular.�
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Much of the material in the textbooks and workbooks are not overtly religious, and therefore it is hard to objectively
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determine whether or not this is true.
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We’ve read the arguments, but let’s go straight to the sources and see what our experts have to say… 32
WHO ARE THE EXPERTS?
If I was going to make a truly informed decision on the matter, I wanted to understand the material as thoroughly as possible (something that proved difficult more often than not). Being able to directly communicate and receive answers to my questions was extremely beneficial.
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WHO IS ARNOLDO ALANIZ?
Arnoldo was actually the third person I contacted at the Texas Education Agency. The previous two seemed disinclined to speak to me after I explained I was conducting an investigative project on charter schools. However, once I spoke with Arnoldo, he was very forthcoming and agreeable. We spoke for nearly an hour about the state of charter schools in Texas.
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WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE MATTER?
Read my full interview with Arnoldo!
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WHO IS ZACK KOPPLIN?
Zack Kopplin was actually a name I was familiar with before I even began my research. I knew he was adamant about keeping creationism out of the public school classroom. Though he is more involved with his home state of Louisiana, he did a good deal of research on charter schools in Texas.
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WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE MATTER?
Zach has even more to say about charter schools!
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How did I become involved? 38
WHO SHOULD I SUPPORT? Even after hearing what the experts had to say on the matter, I still wasn’t completely sold on one side of the argument or the other. There were clearly some charter schools that needed more regulation, but other charters seemed to be prospering from the flexibility the current legislation provided them. To me, this problem wasn’t about government policy and political tug-of-war, but providing Texas children with the best education possible. So who could I align myself with?
Wow! They value the same thing I do:
This is an
putting children
organization I
first.
discovered that publishes reports on charter schools. I wonder what else they do…
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Let’s investigate charter school legislation…
There’s a lot of confusing material about this topic…
This is getting exhausting… Hooray! I found an awesome cause to support!
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WHAT IS CHILDREN AT RISK?
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WHO IS MANDI KIMBALL?
I initially learned about Children at Risk through a report they published called “The Status of Charter Schools in Texas: Dispelling the Myths and Analyzing the Realities.”
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Mandi was one of the report’s authors, so I contacted her after I realized how much more accessible this information would be if it was presented in a different manner. Luckily, Mandi agreed and I began working with Children at Risk to create infographics.
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WHAT DID I DO TO HELP THE CAUSE?
Hmmm‌ This sounds like what I did to redesign my Capstone paper!
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Now what? 44
WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US?
Education is one of the most important resources we can provide children with. A quality education for everyone allows our entire society to prosper. Do your part and engage in the conversation!
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WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
While the presentation of this material was all very casual, the problem itself is still very serious and very real. There are millions of children in the Texas public school system, but unfortunately, many of these children do not receive the sufficient education they need to prosper in life. We need to speak up for these children who do not have a voice in politics and fight for equal, adequate education for all students. Access to education (or lack thereof) affects not only students, but the quality of life for everyone in society.
The St. Edward’s Mission Statement asserts that the university encourages students to “confront the critical issues of society and to seek justice and peace.”
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Furthermore, it maintains that students should “understand themselves, clarify their personal values and recognize their responsibility to the world community.” I would argue that I have completed both of these objectives here.
If you’re looking for the “scholarly” stuff, read my Capstone Reference Guide!
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