While I was
working in a daycare, I overheard a group of parents talking about possible
elementary schools for their children. A debate started when one of the parents
brought up the idea of charter schools vs. public schools. Some argued that
public schools offer more sports, clubs, and so on. They added that
public schools had funding to attend to every need of their children, and have
extra resources for students with disabilities. Others argued that Charter
schools have smaller class sizes, they require more parental involvement, and
there are different kinds of charter schools including private, religious, and
bilingual schools. They also said that charter schools allow their students to
learn at their own pace and
address the different teaching styles.
I am on the
fence on this issue; I believe it depends on the child. For example, clubs, sports,
and big crowds do not interest my older sister. She went to a
charter high school, graduated with ten people in her class, and she loved it.
I, on the other hand, like to be
involved in clubs and I was interested in volunteering with our local
ambulance. I went to a public high school, where I joined the emergency
response team and became a first responder.
Do you have an opinion on this? Do you agree with the parents
that I quoted above? What do
you think about charter schools vs. public schools? Did you attend one or the
other? Or were you home schooled? Would you recommend that your niece or nephew go to a charter
school? What do you think
are the advantages and disadvantages of charter school? Do you think that you would
like to learn more about charter schools?
I would love to know more about charter schools. I don't really know anything about them. I went to a Catholic school my whole life. I don't know how public schools work, except for the little experience I have in them from my observations. I loved being in a small private school for grades K-8. I strongly disliked the private all girl catholic high school. My parents sent me there for the academics and the idea of no boys. I had no choice in the matter. However, after my experience there, my dad says he would have sent me to a public school.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that it depends on the type of learner the student is and what type of environment they will benefit from. Public schools do offer more clubs and after school activities than private schools, which I think I missed out on.
I looked up if charter schools were funded by the government and they are not. So my question is, would a longer school day and year apply to these schools.
This is the site I looked at: http://www.nea.org/charter/
I would definitely like to know more about charter schools because I do not know anything about them. I do know that they are not the same thing as private but they are not public schools either. I attended a public school all my life so I am obviously more of an advocate for public schools. I agree that public schools do have a lot more extra curricular activities to choose from but I think it depends on the child as well as the community you live in. If the public schools in the town you live in are not the best schools to attend then I think that parents should check into charter and/or private schools.For example, my sister is a public school teacher down in South Jersey and she is also a mother of three. When it came time for her child to attend school, she chose a private school because she knows how the public school system works in her town and she was not happy with it. I also believe that public schools are better for children than charter schools because it provides diversity and variety. Public schools integrate children from all parts of the town while charter schools are designed for people that have the same goal in mind. I believe that when sending your child to school you should do research on all the schools around your area and then decide what is best for your family in the long run whether it be charter, public or private.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to see research comparing public schools and carter schools. I went to Catholic school and had a different school experience than my public school friends. I loved having a small group of classmates that I went to school with from first grade until eight grade. I even continued going to school with these students in high school. The small classes and smaller student body helped me with my education/learning. However, we did not have as many groups and after school activities as public schools might offer. I also can see a difference from my field experience observations that public schools offer more help in special education. It would be interesting to see what type of special education carter schools offer. In the end, I think that the parents should really do research into their town’s public schools, as well as the carter schools to see which one would be the best placement for their child’s educational needs.
ReplyDeleteI know very little about charter schools but what I do know is that there is a ton of parental involvement. This is something that is starting to go missing in public schools. When children are in charter schools the parents want them to be there and they want to be involved in their child's academics . Sure there are not many clubs but they get a very deep education.
ReplyDeleteI am also not too familiar with charter schools, but I would like to know more. I attended private school my entire life and even coming to Caldwell was rough for me. Catholic schools are very very small and you normally have the same students in your class from Kindergarten till eight grade. I think Catholic schools have several advantages and disadvantages. First, because the classes are so small there is more time to build relationships. All teachers get to know you on a one-to-one level, and that was nice. Next, Catholic schools require much help from the parents, so there is a great parental involvement in the school. Lastly, you get to wear uniforms and that is something I miss the most. I hate having to wake up and pick out clothes every day. Many argue that catholic schools discipline more strictly and I think it all depends. I have had several nun teachers and they do not let anything slide. Even though I love Catholic school, it was not until I started observing in a public school that I noticed the disadvantages. First, catholic schools really do not offer too much extra help or have special education classes. Some catholic schools do not offer as much outside help as a public school would. I could not picture growing up without going to my small town catholic school.
ReplyDelete