I"m just wondering what you think about charter schools. are they the enemy or if you could teach there and make more under better conditions would you??
Other moms, do you feel charter schools actually do a better job of educating or is it just a case of knowing the grass isn't very green where you are now and wanting somethign different??
This has really been on my mind alot lately and with school starting i thought i would ask. TIA.
So many other questions have popped up since i asked about this i doubt anyone will see my update, Not sure If there are diff definitions, i thought a charter school was free, that the home district that you pay taxes too pays the charter your tax money, unlike a private school that you pay tution for.
and I think i was wrong, i doubt a teacher would make more at a charter because i don't think they are unioned which is how they can make a profit by keeping costs lower than a traditional public school.
Im my area, i'm hearing that students from bad schools think they are getting something better but I"m hearing that they are just bringing their issues with them, for example poor parental involvement, special needs that aren't addresssed as well as in public schools.
I have no first hand knowledge so i'm trying to figure things out.
I don't know a lot about charter schools, but did teach in a public school (elementary) for 5 years before becoming a mom. Honestly, I don't think it matters what kind of school you are in. What matters most is the dedication of the teacher, the breathing-room that administration gives the teachers, and the other students in the classroom - their level, the size of the class, their behavior, etc.
I left public school to teach at a Christian school that got its state charter about 10 years ago. I earned 1/3 less. I planned the entire curriculum and it was totally adapted to the kids in my class. I had the state test at the end of the year and they did better than any class I taught.
What made the difference? My dedication. Three of us worked 60 hour weeks and did whatever it took to succeed. The rest took the attitude "I earn less so I am not working beyond the 35 hours I get paid." They were horrible teachers who could not get a job at public school.
I also think having parents that will supplement the learning at home makes a huge difference.
JessInTexas is right. That IS what matters. Not all schools are the same. Do your research of what is your area and place your child accoring to the best fit.
Charter schools' advantages are that they are FREE, they are usually "watched" by a oversight committee or university, and are new and fresh. They also usually have smaller class sizes and REQUIRE parent involvement.
Teachers do not typically make any more than the public schools. I had 4 years under my belt at the public school system and then taught in a charter school. I lost 10K in pay and paid a lot more for my benefits. I also went from having 37 students to 11 with lots of parent involvement. Most of my 37 kids were high needs due to poor socio-economic situations. Almost half of my 11 kids where high needs due to learning/behavior issues, but I had lots of support including a full time child specialist to help those kiddos.
Again, all schools and teachers are not created equal. Do your research and make the best match. :)
It really depends. Do you live in an area where charter schools open and then close a few years later? I would want to know the school has proved it's reputation over Many years. Public schools are more diverse, and have more options to serve individual needs, which is a plus in my book. but as another poster said, where ever you go, there will be good teachers, bad teachers and great teachers. There will be great students and real behavior problems.
Every school will have it's good teachers and its bad ones, even charter schools.
We have moved many times, military. In CA, yes the charter schools across the board were better, more grant money, not neccessarily the better students. 2001-2002
In NC, 2006-2010, there was a charter middle school. It was supposed to emphasize math and sciences. Well by the time those kids got to Algebra II, they could not do fractions and other simple algebraic functions. The Geometry, Algebra II, and Caculus teachers were all in an uproar the years we were in the high school because the middle schoolers from Charter School XYZ couldn't handle even the simplest concepts.
So obviously the public school Algebra teacher was much better than the charter school Algebra teacher. But the orchestra leader and art teacher at the charter school were "better" teachers.
Everything else was really comparable, there was no real difference.
Charter HIgh Schools tout themselves as better and the teachers try very hard to uphold those reputations, which works.
So the University HIghs, the Math and Sience Academies in the different states are routinely a better choice. THere is also a higly competitive process to be admitted into these.
I started teaching in a Catholic school that was amazing, but I only made $19,000 a year. It really was a wonderful school, and I taught there for 3 years. Then I had my first child and wanted to work closer to home, so I switched to a local public school and instantly got a $10,000 pay raise. That was 13 years ago. There are some highly qualified, very dedicated teachers at the public school where I teach now, but there are also some teachers here who just want summers off and want to get a paycheck. You will likely find that everywhere. As for charters, I visited some when my youngest was entering school, and the quality varied drastically. Some of them I wouldn't consider working in or sending my children to, others would be perfect, but are too expensive to send my children to, and don't pay teachers enough. I'm glad that charter schools are an option, though.
I pulled my son from the local public schools to homeschool with an online e school. He had some good teachers, but the kids and the higher ups were more worried about moving kids along than teaching, and it took me two years to see the gaps in his early education. My daughter is now open enrolled in a nearby school for 3rd grade, having never been to public school and I am hoping she has a different experience, and that my son gets in next year. it isn't always just about the teachers though.
It may be my area but I hear a lot better things about charter schools than public schools.
