Charter schools?

I thought it was too early to start thinking about kindergarten since Ashley is only three. But, she will be going right as she turns 5 years old. I really want to send her to private school but it is SOOOO expensive. And, I just found out from a friend with a daughter in the 4-5 year old preschool class that she has to commit to the private school by January this year to ensure a spot for next year otherwise she goes on a waiting list. So, the decision is closer than I thought.

I've heard a lot of good things about a local charter school. I've heard mixed comments about charter schools in general, but I have heard excellent reports in the area of academics from this particular charter school. I've also "read" that they encourage parent participation, which I love. But, that is just from their website... whether or not they walk the talk, I don't know.

Anyways, I don't really understand the concept of charter schools? It seems that they are a hybrid between public and private schools, but I don't understand the specifics. Can anyone clarify for me... and has anyone had any experience with a charter school?

Well I know they teach each child based on what that child needs. Edited to say that for instance Joe might learn a different level of math skills but be in the same grade as Judy. KWIM? My neice and nephew go to them. My SIL LOVES them. I was just at a baby shower a couple of weeks ago talking to two public school teachers that had nothing but bad things to say about them and how if they have to go to a public school at some point they have huge issues acclimating to a public school environment after charter school environment because they are so different. Who knows. My boss had his kid in one and he did have a very hard time transferring from the two different atmospheres when he went to public school.

We thought about it with Kylie so she could go to kindergarten at age 5 instead of 6, but after talking to several parents/teachers in our area we were advised strongly not to, especially if she will eventually go through our public school system, which is one of the best in our area (not the city public school district, that's BAD around here).

Charter schools, if I'm correct, don't have to adhere to all the rules and regs public schools do (for testing and things of htat nature).

This post has been edited by boogabearzmom on Jan 19 2006, 11:43 AM

We just went to an open house for a new charter school opening in our district and are very excited about it. Katy misses the cut off here by less than a month but they told us we could petition to get her in the year after next and as long as she passes their tests she should be able ot get in (just before turning 5) Sorry OT...
This is the company that runs the school we were looking at and links to their stuff (for lack of a better word)
http://www.mosaicaeducation.com/
It sounds like their baby is the Paragon program and it is just a different and more integrated way of teaching social studies. This school is also aiming for education standards to be more like the normal world wide instead of the US so is open 20 extra days a year and 1 hour a day longer. It seems like a really good option for teaching more w/o paying for private. It is all funded through the state and the initial funding is comming through grants and donations from local home builders so other than the regular fund raisers that all schools have we won't have to deal with anything else I guess I would know for a couple years how WE like it but we are excited about the prospect of it. My niece is at another charter school in this area and they are far above the local private schools as far as what they are teaching. SO much so that I don't follow half of what she is talking about learning in school because even through 2 years of College I never touched on some of the stuff.

I don't know much except a friend of mine has always had both her kids in one and now thy're 13 and 9. She swears the teachers are more hands on and the parents are actually required to participate.

I have heard wonderful things about them and I've herad not so wonderful things. The wonderful things were from parents who's children went to them adn teh not wonderful thing were from public school educators complaining about kids adjusting after they leave the charter school if the go public. I'd say go for it if it speaks to you. You know Ashley better than anyone. and if you intend to keep on top of her education then I'd say this is the way to go as there may be nmore opportunity in teh charter school for your impu tthan there would be in a public school, KWIM?

Mya's school is a "Magnet school" I'm not sure what the differance. At her school it's for arts and sciences so they start the musical insterments in kindergarden with the recorder and MUST take violin in 3 grde and can choose an insterment in 6th. ALl studies revolve arround music or science. She can tell you what evaporation and condensation is!! ANd lots of stuff I never knew. The teachers are very hands on and STRONGLY encurrage parents pertisipation.
that's just us...

Every charter school is different. Around here, some are run by the public school system and some are run by private corporations. Many are geared toward specific goals or even fields of study so you need to check with that specific one. Do they have an open house soon that you can attend? If not, call the school and make an appointment to meet with either a teacher or principal to find out how they teach and what their requirements are to get in.

I agree with the statement above, that some schools have a particular focus or sponsorship---I'd look at those aspects, too, to make sure it's in line with what you want. I also think the right alternative education works wonderfully for a child like Ashley, one who is ahead of the curve in her acquisition of skills. It would be a shame for her to be held back by the sometimes low expectations and lack of individual attention you might get at a public school. I did have friends who went to PS and I attended with them from time to time. I can remember the teachers would remark about how focused I was with the exercises and how far along I was with my skills. My education was individually tailored at my alternative school, so I could "go ahead" of expectations. I was reading at a fifth grade level in third grade. And because I started out in the alternative system and always had joyous experiences with learning in a comfortable, supportive, noncompetitive environment, I never learned the cynical "I hate school" mentality that many of my PS peers had, and I never received a letter grade until I went to college.

Wait, this isn't about my life story

I guess my answer would be to visit the school, see how they do things, and trust your own instincts. Further, Ashley is definitely the kind of kid who would transition well to public if that happens later. College was not a problem for me, even though it was quite different from what I was used to.

I'm not completely sure how the funding works, but I think charter schools receive some sort of public support. I think the school system pays some, and the county or state pays some. I believe there is some sort of accountability regarding curriculum, but maybe the teachers don't need to be accredited???? I also know that all charter schools are different, and depend largely on the private company that is contracted to run them. Some have had great success, some have failed miserably, and there is no blanket statement you can apply to them universally. I would advise you to do your homework, Dee Dee. Find out as much as possible about the particular school you are interested in, as well as the company behind it. Seek out parents who've been in the school for more than 1 yr. I would put much more stock in what parents with children who actually attend the school say rather than the p.r. that the school will feed you.
A few random thoughts about private school in general you might want to consider. Many people automatically assume that if you're paying for it, it must be better. I wouldn't necessarily take that as gospel. You need to remember that almost without exception, public school teachers are compensated much much more generously than private school teachers, and are also afforded better benefits as well as tenure and union representation. Where do you think the better qualified teachers are going to go? Very often, teachers who are unable to find work in public schools wind up in private schools. I've always found that significant.
Private schools need to find a way to make themselves more attractive to consumers. Often they do so by becoming more user friendly than public schools, and much, much more responsive to parental demands. Remember, their financial well being depends on it. I've also found them to be infinitely more adept at dealing with children who for whatever reasons don't quite fit into the more structured environment of public schools. If it's a charter school with a particular orientation, like for science or music, if you have a child with those particular interests, it may be more satisfying for them than the standard public school curriculum.
What I didn't like about private school was the relentless pressure to "support" the school, over and above the substantial monthly tuition, in the form of fund raisers, donations, etc. I also felt that the public schools just had more resources in general, particularly as the kids get older and want to participate in sports teams, band, and other extracurricular activities.
I suspect Ashley will flourish no matter where you send her, Dee Dee. I also think if you want to send her there just for a few years, I think she'd be able to avoid some of those aforementioned transition problems- she's so bright and compliant. I would suggest that you maybe approach the principal of your local public school and inquire about enrichment opportunities for kids like Ashley. Are there gifted programs? Ask SPECIFIC questions about how teachers address the needs of kids who are so far ahead of the curve. Can she accelerate in math or reading (some kids in our school were allowed to go up a grade or 2 for reading or math and then return to their home class for other stuff).
Lots to think about. You also have to remember that for kids, so much of their learning takes place outside the classroom- on the playground, in the lunchroom, etc. I think we as parents can get all tangled up in the academics, and forget how important social learning is at this age. Whenever I ask my kids how things went at school, almost without exception, the things they are most animated about have nothing to do with scholastics. (and my kids are both honor roll students). It's always how so and so treated so and so during the kickball game, or how much fun jazz band was.
She's gonna love school, no matter where she winds up, I'm sure. She's one of those kids who will succeed anywhere. You're very lucky.

Same here. They are pretty contraversial in Columbus (from what I read) right now. Their focus ranges from teaching non traditional students (ie, learning challenges, delinquency issues, etc) to area specific focus~like science, language arts, music, etc. The pluses seem to be their ability to be more free and creative with their curriculum/teaching as they aren't accredited by the state and not subject to the mandatory testing. They seem to be filling a need that public programs can't due to now being mandated to "teach to THE test" instead of focus on student needs and real educational skills/assessment. Because they are not accredited, I'm not sure of their diploma status. Some of the "charter" schools in Columbus are "run" by the public system. Others are not~they are run by private organizations both inside and outside the state of Ohio. Some require teachers to be certified, others do not. Any good school program should not have ANY problem with you observing, asking pertinent questions, etc. You'll likely have to do that to see if they really are what they proport to be.

FWIW~if you are interested in a particular private school, don't rule them out due to cost alone. Many privates have tuition assistance programs varying from direct aid to families to "in kind" service provided to the school in exchange for a portion of tuition. I'm thinking the level of your family's technological skills could easily be of some benefit to a school. My neice graduated from Columbus School for Girls a few years ago. The tuition there is about $10K per year and she went from 4th grade on. My aunt is a SAHM and my ex uncle owned an auto body shop~far from financially endowed. They got tons of assistance and my aunt did some work for them (she was a filmaker before becoming a mom) in exchange for tuition. It can be done! She got such a magnificent education there~it's the most wonderful teaching environment I've ever seen. If I win that HGTV dream house~Olivia is SO going there!!!

Good luck in your decision. It can be a daunting one! We register O for Kindergarten this month~ it comes WAY FASTER than you think!

We're going on Sunday for an open house at the private school I want my kids to go to. Zach is turning 4 in August, and school starts in September...he could get in. Tuition is fairly expensive... but not THAT expensive if you think that you won't be paying daycare for him anymore. Well not you, me... but you kwim. Of course Ashley isn't in daycare though - so that might impact a bit more on you guys.

If worse comes to worse, Zach can stay another year in daycare... he learns some stuff there too.

Thank you for all the information and your input.

I am going to tour the charter school, and I have already talked to some parents. That's what got me thinking about the charter school in the first place. These kids were testing several years ahead of kids in the public school system. And, there was an article in the newspaper not too long ago and the school got nothing but great reviews.

My reservations lie with some of the things Jeanne mentioned... the extra curricular activities. Even private school would have these limitations.

Our local school system is "ok". We bought this house way before we even thought of having kids. It's not the worst school system but it certainly isn't the best. I think the elementary schools would be ok, but the problem comes when it's time to enter JR. High and High School. The school is big and ratio of kids to teachers is 30:1. There have been some racial issues going on in the schools as well. This may all change by the time Ashley reaches High School, but it could get worse as well. I would hate to start her in kindergarten and elementary school and then move her when she gets older. I was an army brat and moved around all my life. It wasn't a problem until I got older, and then it sucked. I was jealous of the girls who "had been friends since kindergarten". I want to give Ashley the option of having lifelong friends like that.

We eventually want to move, but I don't think we will be ready before she starts Kinder. And, she already has such good friends. She looks forward to getting together with her friends, and I have become good friends with the parents. So, on one hand I want to move to another school district but on the other hand, I hate to give up what we have here.

I feel your pain about moving, Dee Dee. If I could move now, I would. I sort of feel like we've "outgrown" our little town. But my boys are really "dug in" now- Alec is 13, Noah's 10- I simply can't do that to them.
I think you still have a little time yet if that's what you're planning to do. I would say anytime before 3rd or 4th grade would be ok. Kids' friendships are pretty transient at that age- I'm certain Ashley would be able to assimilate pretty easily in a new school.
We did the same thing as you- we bought our house before we had kids. I assumed, incorrectly, that our school system would be a reflection of our community- progressive, creative, forward thinking. It's not. It's a basic, run of the mill public school with some pretty cranky, burned-out teachers. It's not the worst, but it's far from what I'd hoped it would be. In the beginning, it used to really bother me, but as the years went by, I gradually adjusted my expectations, and concentrated on making sure my kids wound up in classrooms of teachers whose heads were still in the game, so to speak. It turned out to be a good strategy. They had some fabulous teachers, they had some mediocre teachers, but in the end they got a pretty sound foundation. And the middle school/high school in the district are far better than the elementary school, so there is light at the end of the tunnel for us. Doesn't sound the same for you.
I used to agonize over these things when Alec was little. Now I realize that if education is important in a home, as it clearly is in yours', your child will succeed regardless. You may have to supplement here and there, but she'll do well anywhere, as I said before. Cream rises to the top.

I could see why you'd be worried about moving too Dee Dee. My grandfather died when I was in sixth grade and my parents moved us out to the country in his home. They had always planned on moving us before I hit highschool because of the district we were in, it just happened a bit earlier. It was very devastating for me and I never really recovered from our move. I never fit in at our new school and rebeled like crazy! My sister did absolutely fine because she was in kindergarten and barely remembers the kids she went to K with. So I agree, you do still have time. Just don't wait too long before you do.

We chose our place to live based on the school district. We had ALWAYS wanted our children to go to the same school district as we had gone too and when Ryan's grandfather fell ill and later passed on we fought like dogs to acquire his land. We felt very comfortable building a house on the land because we knew we'd never leave this area. We got lucky because our school district is even better than when we went there and even though the class sizes will probably triple by the time our girls go compared to the class size we have, the teacher ratio has been great. Most of the teachers there now are kids we went to school with so it makes us feel even more comfortable sending our girls there (or should it, lol).