I also found a state website, that brought up a disturbing fact: Colorado doesn't require teachers in charter schools to have a current Colorado license, but they must meet all the other requirements of a highly qualified teacher. This site provided more information on how to start a charter school in Colorado, and not information that I was seeking.
However, neither website addressed the pros or cons of teachers having a Colorado license. They both satisfied my basic concern, and that is that the teachers must have a degree and know about the subjects they are teaching. Since the first website also said its statistics are based on "all elementary schools" in Colorado, I feel I can safely assume that the quality of teachers in both schools are pretty equal. (At least as far as their education). Also the first paragraph is giving me statistics on tests done by 8th graders, and I'm more interested in the earlier years.
I have many more questions. What are the statistics for public schools? Do they test kids younger than 8th grade? Are the tests they perform the same from school to school? I also wonder if they take into consideration at any point how long the child has been in the charter school or public school when they get results on these tests. Is there really a good way to know which type of school is better for your child? I strive to find a source that will give me more test scores or statistics comparing our public schools to our charter schools. It seems every article I read ends with saying "Do your homework and find a school you like". Hopefully I can find a better starting point for parents!
I find the concept of charter schooling my children fascinating. I am a conservative person politically and I always read about the stories of public school curriculum's being politically biased. With time and experience I feel it is important to choose the best option for your child's education whether it be public, private or home schooling. I read an article recently about a family who has 9 children and all but 2 were in college by the age of 12. I was amazed at how easy it seemed, however I would like to see it in practice. If I had the time to home school my children I would, great information!
ReplyDeleteI think home schooling can be a great alternative as well. Personally, the only reason why I haven't decided to do that is because I think the life skills and people skills they learn in school is sometimes just as important as the material they are learning. I went with a Charter school initially because their testing scores were so much higher than any public school I lived around. When I talked to some of the teachers they said they wouldn't even put their own children in one because of the amount of homework and responsibility placed on children. The following year I went with a public school and was so disappointed that the material my kids were learning was all stuff the Charter school had taught them the year before. My kids were bored and unchallenged. So back in a Charter school they went. I guess everything has its ups and downs, it's just a matter of weighing them against one another.
ReplyDeleteI also find it can be hard to really find meaningful statistics and scoring to compare public and charter schools. Just giving the advice to do your homework is not enough for parents. They want something more solid to base their decision on schools.
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