Reply to Time for Charter Schools?

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Reply to "Time for Charter Schools?"

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[quote=Anonymous]My son is in a charter in a western state.  While I love his school, and it's rated one of the best in our state, here are the negatives I've seen:

* no school buses, so limited to parents who can drop off/pick up; no field trips, or high parent cost, since we have to charter buses
* limited and expensive before/after school programs - for those parents that would usually depend on buses to give them a little extra time
* extra curriculars are costly as they're usually run by outside franchises/businesses (we pay $144 for 6 week chess club.  An after school martial arts 2x/week is $40/month.  Lego club is $30/hour.  School team sports are about $300 per season.)
* not required to participate in FARM programs, so they don't. $5-$8 daily hot lunch!  
* limited services for special needs students
* limited programs for gifted students
* full day kinder is $3000/year, while 1/2 day is free.  Public schools have free full day kinder.
* 3 strikes, you're out program

It's hard for me to be supportive of charters when they seem to, because of their practices, cater to specific SES.  The single mom that needs to be at work at 7, who doesn't have time to pack lunch every day, that needs full day kinder but can't pay $3000, can't choose my kid's school because its just not doable for her.  Yet this charter is supposed to be here for EVERYONE!  And to add insult to injury, my kid is taking $7500/year away from her public school.  (Don't even get me started on the private investors who will own this huge school and the land it sits on if the school should fail.)

But again - I love the school.  I love the teachers.  I love the curriculum.  My child loves everything about his school.  So am I way off base to feel guilty that charters really aren't available to all?
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