Charter school parents: why are you okay with diverting resources from public schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High income parents send their kids to private school, not charter schools or other public schools (unless it's TJ in Virginia).

You really should come out of your bubble. It's nice out here in the big world. You don't need to be scared.

Signed,
High income parent of a DCPS student

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's great that parents have charter schools as an option. I think it is unfair that they don't have to play by the same rules as DCPS while accepting the same money.

But, life is unfair.

Some of the rules are tougher- like not being able to restrict your student body to a specific geography, or not being able to shape your incoming student body language dominance for immersion schools.

And charters don't accept the same money. They get around $3,000-4,000 less per student than DCPS for facilities, but that can't be found anywhere because DCPS doesn't receive facilities money directly, but rather through services provided by DGS. Source from 2012:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-charter-schools-fight-second-class-status/2012/08/21/b98961ce-bc1f-11e1-9134-f33232e6dafa_story.html

"The District is spending $5,986 per student this year for construction and renovation of [DCPS] buildings. Charter schools, not included in the capital budget, received $3,000 per student to lease or purchase buildings."

That doesn't take into account the years of underfunding DCPS renovations over the last 30-40 years (until about 10 years ago). If you evened out DCPS facilities spending over a broader timeframe, it would probably equal out more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, charters are public schools.

I do wish charters were even more financially transparent and were required to comply federal with federal laws supporting kids with SN and had to retain their students - even those who get into trouble - in just the same way a neighborhood is required to do. Charters use the neighborhood schools as their safety net. They know the neighborhood school has to and does take any kid who they can't manage.

Charter schools DO have to comply with federal laws supporting kids with SN. They are held accountable by parents, OSSE and the US Department of Education.

As for retaining students -- DCPS does the same thing with OOB kids, and students in city-wide programs. DCPS also have far more resources than charter schools to help kids with issues (e.g. mental health services from the department of health) that charters can't access.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, charters are public schools.

I do wish charters were even more financially transparent and were required to comply federal with federal laws supporting kids with SN and had to retain their students - even those who get into trouble - in just the same way a neighborhood is required to do. Charters use the neighborhood schools as their safety net. They know the neighborhood school has to and does take any kid who they can't manage.

Charter schools DO have to comply with federal laws supporting kids with SN. They are held accountable by parents, OSSE and the US Department of Education.

As for retaining students -- DCPS does the same thing with OOB kids, and students in city-wide programs. DCPS also have far more resources than charter schools to help kids with issues (e.g. mental health services from the department of health) that charters can't access.

Not true on a few points. At least as of last year, DCPS does not allow expulsion of OOB for issues like that. I asked, and was told it wasn't an option.
DOH provides resources to DCPS and Charter schools, like the school nurses. I'm not sure about the mental health program. But they're also not a reliable resource. DOH is constantly trying to mess with the programs so I'm not sure how much good they do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High income parents send their kids to private school, not charter schools or other public schools (unless it's TJ in Virginia).

You really should come out of your bubble. It's nice out here in the big world. You don't need to be scared.

Signed,
High income parent of a DCPS student

+1 non-JKLM DCPS parent with HHI of >$500K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They do their best to justify it but they are selfish, liberal hypocrites.

Know what they did in the South, in particular VA, when Supreme Court ruled separate but equal was unconstitutional? School boards diverted the money to private schools. Charter schools are the same but with a different name.

You'rei mplying it is a race thing, but there are no majority white charters.

It is a prepared student thing. Parents want their kids to be able to learn in class. Not to be in class with many disruptive kids who keep the whole class from learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High income parents send their kids to private school, not charter schools or other public schools (unless it's TJ in Virginia).

You really should come out of your bubble. It's nice out here in the big world. You don't need to be scared.

Signed,
High income parent of a DCPS student

+1 non-JKLM DCPS parent with HHI of >$500K.

+1 charter school parent with High HHI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish charter schools didn't exist. If they were outlawed tomorrow, my neighborhood school would basically immediately become great. However, because they exist, and because I got into a good one, I'm going to use it.

If charter schools didn't exist with their solid 15 year history in the District of Columbia, you would also not be enjoying the results of the citywide gentrification that has come along with it. Your neighborhood school would not necessarily be better, those families would have left for the suburbs. You would not have the great playgrounds, you would not have dog parks, you would not have the award winning restaurants you enjoy on the weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish charter schools didn't exist. If they were outlawed tomorrow, my neighborhood school would basically immediately become great. However, because they exist, and because I got into a good one, I'm going to use it.

If charter schools didn't exist with their solid 15 year history in the District of Columbia, you would also not be enjoying the results of the citywide gentrification that has come along with it. Your neighborhood school would not necessarily be better, those families would have left for the suburbs. You would not have the great playgrounds, you would not have dog parks, you would not have the award winning restaurants you enjoy on the weekend.

Gentrification is not driven by parents. It's driven by childless yuppies and DINKs. Just look at where gentrification is happening now. Do you see a lot of high SES parents moving to Ivy City?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish charter schools didn't exist. If they were outlawed tomorrow, my neighborhood school would basically immediately become great. However, because they exist, and because I got into a good one, I'm going to use it.

If charter schools didn't exist with their solid 15 year history in the District of Columbia, you would also not be enjoying the results of the citywide gentrification that has come along with it. Your neighborhood school would not necessarily be better, those families would have left for the suburbs. You would not have the great playgrounds, you would not have dog parks, you would not have the award winning restaurants you enjoy on the weekend.

Gentrification is not driven by parents. It's driven by childless yuppies and DINKs. Just look at where gentrification is happening now. Do you see a lot of high SES parents moving to Ivy City?

Gentrification is happening all over US cities, it has absolutely nothing to do with DCPS! Laughable...get schooled!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish charter schools didn't exist. If they were outlawed tomorrow, my neighborhood school would basically immediately become great. However, because they exist, and because I got into a good one, I'm going to use it.

If charter schools didn't exist with their solid 15 year history in the District of Columbia, you would also not be enjoying the results of the citywide gentrification that has come along with it. Your neighborhood school would not necessarily be better, those families would have left for the suburbs. You would not have the great playgrounds, you would not have dog parks, you would not have the award winning restaurants you enjoy on the weekend.

Gentrification is not driven by parents. It's driven by childless yuppies and DINKs. Just look at where gentrification is happening now. Do you see a lot of high SES parents moving to Ivy City?

Which is why it is laughable that PP thinks her IB would "flip" if charters weren't around. Those students would not be in her neighborhood if not for charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They do their best to justify it but they are selfish, liberal hypocrites.

Know what they did in the South, in particular VA, when Supreme Court ruled separate but equal was unconstitutional? School boards diverted the money to private schools. Charter schools are the same but with a different name.

You'rei mplying it is a race thing, but there are no majority white charters.

It is a prepared student thing. Parents want their kids to be able to learn in class. Not to be in class with many disruptive kids who keep the whole class from learning.

It's not a race thing it's a class thing which in DC is a race thing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish charter schools didn't exist. If they were outlawed tomorrow, my neighborhood school would basically immediately become great. However, because they exist, and because I got into a good one, I'm going to use it.

If charter schools didn't exist with their solid 15 year history in the District of Columbia, you would also not be enjoying the results of the citywide gentrification that has come along with it. Your neighborhood school would not necessarily be better, those families would have left for the suburbs. You would not have the great playgrounds, you would not have dog parks, you would not have the award winning restaurants you enjoy on the weekend.

Gentrification is not driven by parents. It's driven by childless yuppies and DINKs. Just look at where gentrification is happening now. Do you see a lot of high SES parents moving to Ivy City?

Which is why it is laughable that PP thinks her IB would "flip" if charters weren't around. Those students would not be in her neighborhood if not for charters.

Reading is fundamental. What I said is, if they were outlawed tomorrow (not if they never existed) my neighborhood school would flip.

[Anonymous]

Outlawed. Such an absurd and stupid premise.

[Anonymous]

Trying to make someone feel guilty for choosing the best path for their child (be it a charter, OOB, or their neighborhood school) will never be effective. Literally LMAO at anyone who tries.