Are They a Reasonable Solution for Washington D.C.’s Public Schools?
The nation’s capital has a problematic history with public school education. Washington D.C. public schools have been consistently ranked as having the “lowest graduation rate” in the United States for years (Brown). To address this problem, the District has started making critical reforms. Due to Washington D.C.’s long-term negligence of public education, charter schools emerged in the city in 1996 (Pardo 11). Since their start, charter schools have become a more popular option for D.C. parents looking for better results than public schools (Cane 9). But is it appropriate for charter schools to dominate the education scene in Washington D.C., while other traditional public schools still struggle? This research paper will investigate the background and success of the D.C. charter school movement as well as ongoing debate about the role charters play in the public education system.
Charter schools, which exist all over the United States, are “rooted in the premise of public, free education nestled in the ideas of parental choice” (Pardo 6). Since “Minnesota launched its first charter school in 1991”, charter schools have experienced “an enormous increase in number to over 5,300 by 2011” (Chen). Like traditional public schools, charter schools are “funded with public money” (Chen). However, parents have to “submit a separate application to enroll their children in charter schools, and spaces are often limited” (Pascual). Each charter school has an independent governing board that oversees finance (Pardo 6). Enrollment is based on choice, with parents selecting schools due to their specific focus, curriculum or other features (Pardo 7). When enrollment is exc...
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Because of wide spread discontent with the public school system, many different solutions to reform the mainstream public school system have been brought up in public discourse. Even as early as the 1960s, the Washington Post reported that white middle class parents dissatisfied with the “‘mass production’ approach to...
Ravitch, Diane. "The Success of Charter Schools is a Myth." 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Document. 20 November 2013. .
She realized that choice and accountability were not the answer, but that curriculum and instruction were more viable solutions to America’s educational dilemma. Ravitch suggests that to abandon public schools is to abandon the institution that supports our concepts of democracy and citizenship and to the promise of American life (Ravitch, 2011, p. 12-14). The idea of school choice is rooted in Milton Friedman’s essay concerning the government’s role in education. Friedman asserted that society should support and contribute to the maximum freedom of the individual or the family. He maintained that the government should provide vouchers to help support parents financially on their children’s education, which parents could use at the school of their choosing; so long as the school met set standards. Therefore, this creation of choice would stimulate competition, which Friedman believed would increase the development and improvement of nonpublic schools, as well as, create a variety of school options (Ravitch, 2011, p. 115). As a result of the choice movement, the public received three versions of school choice: voucher schools, private schools, and charter schools. Each of these schools receives public funding, but do not operate as traditional public schools, and are not managed by a government agency (Ravitch, 2011, p. 121). Charter schools became the most popular choice of this new
In the year 2012- 2013, though several 3.1 public high school students or 81 percent, graduated on time (Public High School Graduation Rates), how many students in that number truly gain the full education. Nowadays, education is necessary, which becomes a controversial issue between parents and the school. Either Charter or Public school encourages the development or improvement of the educational system to our young, beloved children. There are further charters out there which children can stay home, however, still learn enormous things. “Lottery” documentary film is about the controversy between public and charter schools, which tells the stories of four families who tried to find a better educational
In a nation dominated by capitalism and free trade, steps are being taken to turn the ability to learn and other education rights into commodities that can be manipulated and controlled by companies. Charter schools are public schools funded by state money, but not unionized; they also can be in the form of a traditional brick and mortar schoolhouse or an online school (Ravitch)(Molnar)(“Preface to 'Are Charter and Magnet Schools Good Alternatives for Students?’”). According to their proponents, charter schools allow parents more sway over their child’s education (Jacoby 77). A charter school proponent Jeff Jacoby states, “Their goal: to build the kind of school that used to be commonplace in America-one providing a rigorous, traditional, fact-based
While private invested charter schools may seem to be the right choice for some children,
Charter schools are public schools of choice, meaning that families choose them for their children. They operate with freedom from some of the regulations that are imposed upon school districts. Charter schools are accountable for academic results and upholding the promises made in their charters.
Raymond, Margaret E. (2014, February 1). To no avail: A critical look at the charter school debate. Phi Delta Kappan, Vol.95 (5) pp.8-12. http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=6aa05956-5bfe-43eb-9eec-b90be0fefa60%40sessionmgr113&vid=9&hid=125
Ravitch, D. (2013). Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
A peer reviewed article that includes a wealth of information about charter schools including who is involved, who is affected and how. The article starts with the very basics about charter schools and continues throughout the entire process of explaining them to the readers
Buchheit, Paul. "How Corporate Greed Is Starving Our Public School System." AlterNet. N.p., 16 June 2014. Web. 6 June 2014.
Strauss, Valerie. "Vouchers and the Future of Public Education." Web log post. Washington Post. The Washington Post, 05 June 2012. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
Across the United States, on every level of activity, education policies are subjects of discussion and debate among our citizens. We believe that the nation's education policies must change to reflect the increasing importance of education, the pervasiveness of technology and changes in student enrollment. A glimpse toward the future suggests that charter schools will become more prevalent in the United States. Although they use public funds, charter schools operate with more freedom and flexibility than typical public schools. The Clinton Administration has supported, and continues to support, charter schools and other innovations that give parents more choices in public schools.
Wilde, Marian. Apples and Oranges: Comparing Private and Public School Test Scores. 1998-2014. 10 February 2014 .
This site is the U.S. Charter School website and explains everything one would need to know about charter schools. It spells out how to begin these schools, how they work, who can attend them and much more.