Pros and Cons of Charter Schools: Essay Tips

The concept behind establishing charter schools is that leaders operating schools should be allowed to bring innovation methods for advanced learning of students.

No matter which measures bring creativity in public school systems should be an essential part of charter schools. In this article, we are going to discuss the most cited pros and cons of charter schools.

Table of Contents

The Purpose Behind Charter Schools:

What do you mean by charter schools? Charter schools are tuition-free schools designed to allow a more innovative system of education. The idea of charter schools was given by Ray Budde, an education professor in 1974.

Later on, it was further developed by Albert Shanker in 1988. So, each charter school has a detailing performance contract, including the school’s mission, the kind of students they serve, student progress assessment methods, the program they use, and performance goals.

Charter Schools Also Called the School of Choice:

But they must follow the terms of charter dictated by local, regional or national authorities or overseas groups. Moreover, they are also called the school of choice because parents can opt to send their children to an established charter school instead of public schools.

Pros of Charter Schools:

Promotes competition
Better support system
Visual schools developed from charter schools
Standard testing metrics
Innovation can quickly be introduced in charter schools
Parents got another choice
Same as the atmosphere of private schools
Completely different approach to education

Parents Got Another Choice:

It has been observed that in many district schools, an assigned school is provided to parents depending on where their family resides. However, in small communities, it may be the only readily available school system.

Even if the school district owns just a single elementary school. It gives parents another chance of sending their children to better schools.

Completely Different Approach to Education:

Charter schools bring about different approaches and styles of education. Most of the published schools follow the same traditional methods of teaching their students.

While on the other hand, charter schools put more focus on subjects such as math and science. They use alternative methods or Montessori techniques for education.

Innovation Can Quickly Introduce in Charter Schools:

Charter schools can help children provide new opportunities to learn without any difficulty. Innovative learning is seen in many charter schools because there is independence. It also reduces the difficulties of parents forcing their children to sit at a desk or table throughout an entire school day.

Promotes Competition:

When there is no competition in district schools, it can create laziness not only in policies but also in teaching procedures. Although charter schools are well aware that they will operate even with reduced scores. Charter schools promote competition, and it tends to create accountability.

Visual Schools Developed from Charter Schools:

Virtual schools have been developed through the process of charter schools. These kinds of schools will give students access to teachers through a computer in the comfort of their homes.

This is how parents can keep check balance on the activities of their children. Virtual schools also cost less as more money can be spent on improving the quality of education.

Same as the Atmosphere of Private Schools:

Many classrooms of private schools have small size classrooms. Fewer students mean that teachers in a charters school can pay attention to improve the performance of students. Charter schools also introduce special learning alternatives for their dedicated students. This creates more excitement for learning in education.

Better Support System:

So, any parent who has their child in a public school can reach to various fundraisers that they are asked to participate throughout the year. This is true that charter schools tend to be privately funded and supported, which reduces the amount of financial involvement.

It may cost some extra for sending your child to a charter school. But when the monetary cost is kept in comparison with money, results are almost equal.

Cons of Charter Schools:

Let’s now turn towards the cons of charter schools.

Teachers can be treated badly
Charter schools operate by different rules
Online schools fail when parents are not involved
Lack of oversight is costly
The tax system in charter schools raises corruption
Less stable as compared to traditional schools
Limited outdoor activities
No transportation facility

Teachers Can Be Treated Badly:

Many charter schools are still categorized as private, despite receiving public funding. It is not unusual for charter school teachers to work 70 hours per week and still receive lower salaries than public school teachers. Even they have to work more days, and their routine is tiring.

Charter Schools Operate by Different Rules:

Most of the charter schools pay more attention to their highest performing students while neglecting the lower students. Thus, lower grades and test scores lead to less money.

That forces district schools to cut or raise money following other ways, such as requesting an increase in property tax to meet their needs.

The Tax System in Charter Schools Raises Corruption:

Research shows that up till now, about $1 billion has been wasted on charter schools that never opened or they are closed because of management issues. All this money went into pockets of corrupt people present in charter schools.

Limited Outdoor Activities:

Charter schools that are small in size have an only limited place for sports and other extracurricular activities.

Extracurricular and sports activities play an essential role in boosting the confidence and energy level of students. So, the lack of outdoor activities results in a downside for students.

Less Stable as Compared to Traditional Schools:

It is noticed that charter schools are less stable as compared to conventional schools. They operate on a contract basis and can be closed anytime in the middle of the year. This, in turn, leads to serious consequences.

No Transportation Facility:

Charter schools don’t provide the facility of transportation as public schools offer to their staff members. Only children of charter schools get to pick and drop service by public schools. This is not convenient as not all parents have time and available resources to facilitate transportation on their own.

Conclusion:

Charter schools are funded by the public but operate privately leads to controversy related to the degree. So, the pros and cons of charter schools are proof that it is good to have many choices. The only goal is to make our student’s futures bright and innovative.

The Purpose Behind Charter Schools:

Charter Schools Also Called the School of Choice: