Anybody familiar with charter schools, specifically imagine schools or

[kit_kats_mom]

the CHILD program?

We have a new imagine school opening nearby and reading the website makes it sound great. However, it is their site and it is possibly biased. I think it sounds like Katherine would do great and I'm ok with it but I really don't know the difference between charter schools and regular schools.

[mom21kid2dogs]

In Ohio, Charter schools generally have a particular focus population that they target~say science oriented, fine arts oriented, alternative learning style oriented, etc. They are far less regulated (which has gotten some of them in big trouble financially here) than public schools in terms of being under the gun with the NCLB testing guidelines although their populations still must meet Ohio graduation requirements and testing standards. They intrigue me greatly but none serve our little area of the world so they are not an option for us.

Are their any similar programs within driving distance that you could check out first hand? Like you, I'd be more than a little leary of making such an important decision based on only info they provide me.

[kit_kats_mom]

Yes, this has a leaning towards technology which DH and I love

[jcc64]

Charters schools are an ongoing experiment, Cary, and the jury's still out. Basically, they are granted a charter from the state to operate for a trial 5 yr period, if they want to continue beyond that, they have to apply to renew the charter every 5 yrs. The state has the discretion to deny renewal based on the success/failure of the program, and we all know that determining what constitutes success is a tricky thing. I'm sure there are good ones and bad ones, but if you're concerned about consistency or worried about having to move the girls at a rough age if the school ultimately fails, you might want to think long term. I'd certainly be asking about the salaries of the teachers, whether they are unionized, their backgrounds, etc.. If they're compensated substantially less than public school teachers, I'd be thinking about what kinds of teaching credentials/experience they have. Some positives- schools that are just starting out are usually on their toes- energetic, committed, visionary, and the families CHOSE to be there, and can usually be counted on to be supportive and involved. Some negatives- lack of diversity, resources, and as I said before, long term security.
We thought about a charter school for Alec way back in the day when he was in 1st grade or so. In the end, after alot of meetings and hand wringing, it never got off the ground- the state denied the charter application. In the meantime, we kind of came to terms with the limitations of public school- not that we gave up wanting "the best" for our kids' education, but we realized we could fill in what we thought was missing ourselves. For our kids, they just wanted to go to school with all the kids they played sports with. Good luck with the decision, kup!