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Academic diversity in the classroom
Research on diversity in education
Academic diversity in the classroom
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The issue of whether charter or public schools are more beneficial for students has been an ongoing debate. The question that arise is which type provides a better education. Having gone to a charter high school myself, I got to see and experience first-hand the benefits of going to a charter school as well as realizing the issues charter schools face here in Oklahoma. These problems need to address in order to guarantee that students are getting the best education that they can get. We are facing an epidemic today with our education system and charter schools could be the solution. There may be opponents to the idea of having charter schools, but they have been wildly successful lately and are quickly expanded throughout the states. This …show more content…
In some communities, charter schools have a higher concentration of minority students than traditional public schools. In addition, they also accept students with special needs and learning disabilities. When I attended Harding, I definitely noticed the diversity that was occurring there that I did not notice at the other public schools. This is due to the small population of the school as well as the diversity of the school. Whenever I needed help on anything I knew that I could depend on the teachers and faculty because they were always available and knew every student by name. The diversity meant that there weren’t cliques or groups, but that the whole school was a community of students that could rely on each other for support. I saw the same people that I knew every time I went to school and not new faces every day. The diversity shows that there are no discrimination and very few bullying. Everyone knew each other and this built a stronger relationship between the students and the faculty that does not exist in big public schools. With the small class room sizes, students had an intimate relationships with the teachers and this allowed them to able to open up and ask for help when needed. Charter schools are able to provide students resources that are not easy gotten at bigger public schools to the size of the student population. This is was charter schools emphasize: improving equality of outcomes for disadvantaged students, providing strong education as a solution for poverty, and providing the necessary preparation for all students no matter the background (Raymond, 2014). The diverseness and close relationships of charter schools allow students to build as a person with the help of the school having high expectations and encouraging personal responsibility and dignity. Because of this, many people can see charter schools as being more liberal
Charter Schools are best known for combining traits and features of both public and private schools. Charters schools are not restricted to many of the rules and policies put on other public schools (Gale 1). For example teachers are given more free reign in charters, and they are not expected to stick to a certain curriculum. Because there is no specific criteria in place for teachers of charter schools, pay scales do not have to be followed for teachers and administrators. Also, charters are publically funded and have specialized accountability for producing certain results.
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
Arguments For: Allows individuals or groups with innovative educational ideas to put them into practice without being unduly hampered by local or state bureaucracy. These schools may have unconventional hours, experiment with curricula, specialize in certain types of teaching or design programs tailored to a particular audience or community. Charter schools can introduce the ingredient of a measure of needed competition to the public schools. They may provide for more accountability because schools that work will be rewarded and those that do not will be changed or even closed.
As someone who has had the privilege to attend quality public educational institutions, it was eye opening to see the struggle some of these families went through in order to provide the same for their children. However, with the push for quality public education through the creation of charter schools, many of these students now have the opportunity to live out their dreams, thanks to the “superheroes” who made it possible for them. The bottom line is that the future of our country depends on our dedication toward providing all children with access to a quality education.
Rivkin, Steven G. "Residential Segregation and School Integration." Sociology of Education, Oct. 1994, v67 pp. 279-292.
In Meira Levinson’s case study, she asks if the reader would approve a legislation that intended to limit charter school expansion based on the attrition rates of that charter school. Both Pedro Noguera and Patricia Jehlen responded to Levinson’s case study. Noguera and Jehlen shared many views about this legislation such as the need for equity in the American education system, the role of charter schools as innovators and laboratories, and the effect charter schools have had on the students and the public schools near them. However, when drawing their final conclusions about charter schools and this legislation, they reach different solutions.
According to Edie (2012), “Charter schools are public schools because they operate independently of the school district” (Edie , 2012, p.1). Charter schools were developed because of the struggle of educational needs of public schools in educating students. They Charter schools are designed to be free to set their own operating hours and curriculum. They also strive to boost student achievement by giving students more time in the classroom, and also can offer classes in the evening, weekends, and into the summer months. Most charter schools feature smaller class sizes and dedicated teachers who want to make a difference, so students receive a lot of individual attention. Charter schools are held accountable for meeting and exceeding state and district academic achievement targets...
Charter schools are public schools, but can be a better option than traditional public schools for some students. By definition, a charter school is a publicly funded and privately run school under the charter of an educational authority. (2-4) A charter school is held to a different set of standards than most traditional public schools. This can often work towards their advantage because it allows them to try new and unique methods of educating children. And the education system could use some fresh ideas.
“Many charter schools segregate students along the racial and class lines and that they may also tend to lack services for students with disabilities or limited English proficiency, which leads to less diversity in Charter schools. Charter schools have their own school boards and are typically free to experiment with instructional and disciplinary methods, Charter schools are privately run by boards that are appointed by charter organizations rather the public which means less local accountability and
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.
To understand the actual differences of charter and public school quality of education, it is important to emphasize a fact often lost in the debate; namely, charter schools are public schools, which simply operate under different guidelines. This reality is more critical because of how perception clouds it. Charter schools are perceived as private institutions, supporters of them tend to be conservatives who feel the schools represent the value of competition in education, while opponents typically express the need for public school reform as more crucial in promoting educational equality (Rofes, 159). This political and ideological compone...
The biggest difference between charter schools and public schools is that the charter schools have their own operating system, foundation and teachers. (Ravitch, Reign of Error, chapter 16, p157-160) There also are some disadvantages in charter schools, first is the quality gap, due to the quality of teaching which almost depends on teachers and principals. The second one is differentiation between races and classes. Some charter schools’ mission is to serve minorities, such as African-Americans and Hispanics, because they want to save the nations’ culture.
Charter schools are independent public schools of choice. Finn (1996) writes that researchers find that the best charter schools have near total independence to decide what and how to teach, whom to hire and how to use their resources, hours of operation, and how best to meet students' needs. One would assume that many charter schools are enjoying the flexibility and success of operating a school of choice. However, charters are also held accountable in a way that regular public schools are not. When a charter school experiences severe troubles, it usually faces severe consequences. To date, more than 200 failed or failing charter schools have been closed on fiscal, educational, and organization...
“ Charter schools are held ideologically as a vehicle for resurrecting, at once, public education and the economic dominance of American business” ( Fabricant and Fine, 12). Charter schools were and are placed as innovative institutions responding to the apparent failing traditional school system. The charter school I observed did not seem to be practicing innovative ways of instruction, nor did it seem to be academically different than a public traditional school in Chicago. Although, researching their website, the partnerships this charter school system has are propelling and financially rewarding American businesses. It also provides the “image” of giving parents an additional “different” choice, specific to serving the Latino community.
Many people in today’s society believe it’s wise to send their children to private schools. In making the decision on whether to put children in public or private schools, they look to four main factors: curriculum, class size, the graduation rate, and cost. When people have to pay for something, their first thought is, “Will I be getting what I’m paying for?” With a private school education, the amount you have to pay is usually well worth it. Public schools offer diversity. Here students can find people who are just like them and can associate better. Wherever you live, you have to send your child to the closest school. There’s no choice on what public school you can send your child to, whereas for private schools you can pick to send your child there. It’s not an easy choice for parents to decide, but many factors point toward a guarantee that a good education would be achieved, which is most important.