Charter Schools

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, a charter school is a tax supported school established by a charter granting body (such as a school board) and an outside group (such as teachers and parents) which operates the school without most local and state educational regulations, so as to achieve set goals. I am writing this paper to complete the Social Reasoning learning goal because I attend a charter school, and I know that charter schools have affected many individuals and communities across the United States. In this paper you will read about how they affect people and in what ways. You will learn about the history of charter schools and how they have changed my life.

Charter school law was first established in Minnesota in 1991. This was a result of failing traditional school districts. Charter schools were the bright idea of a man named Ray Budde, who had been in a variety of educational positions and had the idea ready when everyone was talking about new school structure in the 1980’s . By 1995, there were nineteen states with charter school law. Now, forty two states have charter law and 38 states actually have charter schools that serve more than 1.9 million students total.

California has the most charter schools of any state. It also has many charter school resource centers, including The Charter Schools Development Center and The California Charter School Association. The first charter school in California opened in 1993. It was the second state to adopt charter school law. Now, there are almost one thousand operating charter schools in California and, according to a study by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, California’s charter school growth rate is higher than any other state.

There are a couple similarities between charter schools and traditional public schools. First, they are both paid for with tax-payer’s money. Second, they can not discriminate against race, gender, or disability. There are also several differences between them. The biggest differences are that charter schools are independently run and that they run on a set of rules or promises, called a charter. There are a lot of people that support charters, and a lot who don’t. I will talk about my personal opinion later, but right now you may be wondering why someone wouldn’t support the fast growing phenomenon of charter schools.

Some charter school critics think that supporting charter schools is like betraying their local schools. There is a large connection between traditional public schools closing and increased enrollment in charter schools. Another reason for some people not supporting charters is that they think that they draw money away from public schools. They also blame the whole charter school movement for a few poorly managed charter schools. So, here are some questions for you, is it right for charter schools to take money and potential students away from traditional schools, or is it right for people to judge all charter schools on some mis-managed schools?

Before people judge, they should try to focus on the positives. In my opinion, charter schools do a lot for their community. Almost all charter schools have some sort of program that benefits or works with the community in some way. The Met has internships, for example. We benefit the community by working at local businesses or organizations and we learn valuable skills while earning high school credit. We are also required to complete a certain number of community service hours. Many charter schools also benefit the community through projects. A lot of projects here at The Met are focused on changing the community for the better, whether it is just the school community, Sacramento, or the world.

My sister attended a charter school and her school involved the community in many ways. They have a program in which leaders from the community come in and teach the students a skill or craft, two days a week. Charter schools also get the community involved by holding fundraising events. I believe that community involvement and enrichment are a big part of what makes charter schools so great and different from traditional schools.

The Met and my internship at The Charter Schools Development Center have really made me realize how innovative and amazing charter schools are. I am not opposed to traditional public school altogether, but I support charter schools because they allow parents and students to have more choice in their education and how they want to learn. That is something truly special because people don’t all learn the same way.

Through The Met, I have discovered that I am a more independent learner. I do well knowing that the work that I am doing means something to me. I have been a student in many schools, because I have moved around the United States, but I have never felt as accepted at a school. My self confidence has increased substantially and so have my leadership skills. I don’t think I could have learned these skills so quickly at a traditional public school. I owe it to all the wonderful staff and students at my school. Before I came to The Met I could barely stand in front of a small classroom full of students for more than five minutes. Now I am getting ready to present for close to two hours. I have learned so much at my internship, the work experience that I have gained is priceless.

Charter schools have impacted my life and the lives of many students all over the United States. I am happy that I have the opportunity to give back through my internship. As I have said, I intern at The Charter Schools Development Center(CSDC). CSDC is the oldest charter school resource center in California. My job is to get contact information for schools, districts, businesses, etc, that may want to become members of CSDC or attend a training conference. I feel that I am helping the community and charter schools with my work because the schools that I am collecting information for could potentially become even better schools and impact the lives of even more students because of the resources from CSDC.

I have positively impacted my school by working with the leadership team to change our mission statement. I could not have done it without all the leadership skills I have learned there, but I am happy I can help my school through my independent work.

In conclusion, charter schools are very innovative, allowing more opportunities for students and parents. I believe that they impact the community in a very positive way. Charter schools are still under scrutiny for many reasons, but I choose to focus on the positives.