Article Contributed on: 10/26/2009 8:27:17 PM
A major part of President Barack Obama's educational plan is "The charter movement;" which began in 1991 with the idea that Charters would not have bureaucratic entanglements of Public schools, that they would resurrect the educational system with innovation and best practices.
Slide show more research, facts and studies to help you have an informed decision for our children.
At the center of our upcoming election, (in Denver) is neighborhood vs. charter schools and unions vs. non-unions. (Compensation is part of this argument.) Choice, freedom, innovation and flexibility and the efficacy of charter schools may get the press, but the upcoming vote for school board members will impact reform policy. Let's forget the political debate and look at Charter School Facts from a variety of sources:
According to Kevin Welner, director of the education and the Public Interest Center (EPIC) at the University of Colorado Boulder's School of Education, "Innovation is occurring in some charters, but no more so than in public counterparts."
According to Colorado Department of Education data: 65% of charter schools use back to basics approach, students spend more hours in the classroom, students are engaged because a school is selected that focuses on their interests or learning styles. Students have parents that are engaged, they have sought out and support learning alternatives.
CREDO, a recent Stanford University study of schools in 16 states found that 46 percent of charter schools showed no significant difference in student achievement than public school counterparts. The study also found 17 percent of charter school gains were better than traditional public school, and 37 percent showed gains worse than public school peers. An additional finding from CREDO was students in poverty and English-language learners did better in charters than in the traditional system. Nationally, the study found students not in poverty or those who are not ELL students "do notably worse" than those who remain in the public school system.
Colorado Department of Education recently released a study that found "no across-the-board academic advantage" for either charter or traditional schools in the state.
Denver School of Science and Technology, where 45 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced lunches; and West Denver Preparatory Charter, where 90 percent of the student body is eligible for free or reduced lunches were the two schools that ranked highest in, the district's 2009 School Performance Framework rankings, which measure student growth, Students there have longer class days, spend more time on math and literacy, and have access to tutors.
The rest of the "distinguished" schools in the rankings were traditional public schools.
As we study for our choices in the upcoming election it is important to go back facts. This is not an emotional vote; it is future education of our citizens. The political debate of charter verse public schools should not drive our vote. We need to look for school leaders with balance; people who are interested in reaching out to parents, community and teachers. You are looking for your school board to have major focus on teaching, on making schools work, including professional development for teachers, mentoring, and a formal evaluation process.
-R.R.Cratty
Slide show below contains more research, studies and facts:
Keep Reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2009m10d26-Charter-Schools-within-Election