Reply to What's it like to be in a new charter school in its first year?

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Reply to "What's it like to be in a new charter school in its first year?"

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[quote=Anonymous]I appreciate the insightful posts on school expansion. The scenario where the school doubles in size is what my family is about to experience next year at a well-regarded charter. I have no doubt that there will be challenges simply because, not only will there be students and families new to the school culture, there will be an administration that is relatively inexperienced. One of the real problems with charters is that, in some places, the school leadership has literally learned on the job without any mentoring from a superintendent or good professional development. Many principals of charters do not even meet the licensing requirements for managing a typical public school.

You may ask why did we choose a charter? The school, until next year, is very small. Most families know each other. Teachers are hardworking, warm and accessible. The administration has been uneven, but the safe, family atmosphere where parents are involved often compensates for where the school lacks. It all works fine while your children are in primary grades. Once the children enter the middle school years, it gets very tricky. There is often a fair amount of teacher turnover and, as some families migrate to other middle school options, an academically weak cohort of students left behind. To the school's credit though, teachers work hard for those below grade level students. However, it's not a place for one who is above grade level.[/quote]

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