Reply to Time for Charter Schools?

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Reply to "Time for Charter Schools?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]15:31 and 23:06 sound like the same (crazy) poster.

1) Telling people to send their kids to private schools while b*tching at them for wanting to see Charter schools open is really weird. Not everyone can afford private schools. Charter schools are for everyone--private schools are for people with means. Why would you see it preferable to urge parents to leave the system entirely and go private (advice they can't even afford) but completely freak out at the idea of Charter schools?

2) Charter schools are for everyone. No one is getting "left behind" except people who feel APS is a better fit for their child. If anything your advice that parents who are concerned about the problems in APS go private is an option that will leave everyone who doesn't make money out of the equation.[/quote]

I sound like the same poster because I am. Crazy? Well, I think it's "crazy" to talk about charters because class size is too large, or the schools are too segregated. I can't see how charters do anything but exacerbate both of those issues for the majority, and disproportionately negatively affect the most vulnerable students.

I suspect that the parent(s) complaining in this thread could afford private (parochial at least). Let's face it: DCUM isn't exactly a hotbed of the underprivileged. Are you one of the poster who feel  middle class at $300,000/year?

I also truly believe that the poster(s) to whom I was responding have unrealistic expectations of public education and will not be happy until they are in a private school, hence the recommendation. Public schools serve the majority, and serve them well. Class sizes in APS are much smaller than other neighboring school systems, and smaller still if you're willing to send your child to a Title 1 school. Charter schools won't solve the capacity crisis. If money is diverted to charter schools, that's less money for new buildings/land for the rest of the system. This is a ridiculous proposition to solve a serious problem. I'm not convinced at all that charters would have any (positive) effect on crowding. They might be smaller, like ATS and HB, but how is that a positive for the majority of students in APS? Might as well create more smaller public lottery option schools rather than charters if this is your only issue.

The other poster to whom I am responding to seek private seems to be uncomfortable with their neighborhood school because of the demographics, not the teachers, the administration, the curriculum, nor the facilities. I recommended that they first give their neighborhood school a chance, and if that doesn't work out, go private. Because I don't think that a public school system should make self-segregation any easier for anyone. If you want your child to be in a classroom full of other children of a similar socioeconomic background, then you should use your own money to seek out that environment. Taxpayers should not be forced to help you do that. [/quote]

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