Charter schools.. they're not bad

I'm a teacher and I like charter schools. I know that I'm often in the minority regarding this feeling, especially in my new home here in Washington. Recently, the state supreme court declared that charter schools are unconstitutional. This headline surprised and concerned me... at first.

Having recently moved here from Alaska, I'm kinda new to the local ed world. Up in the AK, our district included 6 alternative learning schools. Some were charter schools, some were magnet schools, and others still just fell in the "alternative" learning category. Our kids went to a charter school that focused on place based education. Specifically, the teachers created a curriculum that used the surrounding watershed as a source of educational enhancement. The school was very hand's on, and great for the active learner.

In all, there are 3 elementary options and 3 high school options beyond that of the traditional model of public school. These options are super popular, highly sought after, and completely funded by public school dollars. How is that? Well, all of these schools fall under the school district umbrella. They may have their own board of parents, but THE school board had to approve the charter and set the guidelines. They are public schools just without the "brick and mortar" feel of what a public school is typically like.

As a father of 5, I see first hand how incredibly different my kids are from each other. They have different interests, sensitivities, and learning styles. My oldest thrives in a traditional education setting. He needs the structure, but has the self drive to make it work. Our second in command needs more freedom. She's our artist with a strong hint of stubborn that won't just sit there and do a worksheet. She would thrive in a less traditional model, something that a charter school offers.

In our new district, there are no alternative learning systems (aka schools of choice or charter schools) in place for elementary and only 1 for secondary students. I know that at least one of my kiddos would benefit from something different, so it's frustrating knowing that option just isn't there. Thankfully, the district is building a team to discuss a new magnet/school of choice to be build for high school students.. and yes, I'm doing all I can to be a part of that team.

So now back to the headline. When I read deep into what the vote was about, I realized that what was unconstitutional were private charter schools. Schools that were not under a district umbrella, but self regulating, and set up by board members not voted on by the public or community. This ruling was not about my understanding of charter schools from my Fairbanks time, but was about the issue of public dollars going to a private school (albeit not a religion based school entity). This is about the constitutionality of vouchers, and a family being able to use public dollars to go to a non-public school. You can read my feelings on vouchers here, hint: I again side skew of my teaching peers.

The take-away of all this, is that charter schools or schools of choice give kids options beyond that of the traditional school setting. School was such a boring place for me to be. I did well only because I hated letting people down, and I hated feeling stupid. These schools are so important to the ever changing learners that we have, and allow for creative collaboration that most people need anymore. Please take the time to watch the video below. It about an amazing school that I wish was available to my oldest daughter. She would thrive in an environment like this!

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A teacher-dad's thoughts on vouchers

My baby cousin messaged me last week to get my opinion on vouchers. Her college Econ class was discussing its impact on education, and she wanted my teacher thoughts! (Not so much a baby anymore, huh?). I will admit that I've always had a hard time connecting to economics, but from what I know, this is a great topic for a class discussion! Kudos to her Econ professor!

I will admit that my thoughts on the matter may be different than that of most teachers. As a teacher, I work hard to be the best, and expect the best of those that work with me in my school. I believe that I work in the best middle school in our area, and it would be foolish for any parent not to send their kiddo to learn with us. That said, if a parent thinks otherwise, why shouldn't they send their child to the school that is a better fit? Isn't learning about making kids comfortable, and teaching to their interests and strengths? If my classroom, or school isn't making a connection that will help a kiddo learn and grow, I think it is fair that the student leaves to go to the learning environment that is a better fit. I want to have that option for my own kids, and as a person passionate about opportunity for all kids, this just makes sense.

That said, we have to be realistic with what this means. I live in a small community. We are isolated in the center of Alaska, and even though we are the 2nd largest "city" in the state, our educational options are more limited. So, let's say we do vote-in a voucher system and everyone wants to use vouchers to go to our local Catholic school. The trouble there is Monroe is limited in space and resources. So, as demand goes up, and supply/space is limited the value increases. So, now this private school might have to raise tuition further beyond what the voucher covers to balance the demand, thus putting the school back in the same place it was (a school for the more financially secure). This is great for them, because maybe they can expand to take in a larger population of kiddos. But what if then the quality goes down? How will they manage the influx of students and maintain the high quality educational product? These questions apply to all of the private schools in our town.

Or, let's say my school's reputation becomes more widely known, and everyone wants to come to my school. Again, we have limited space, and we can't duplicate the success of individual teachers forcing others to be like us, because it's our unique personalities that make us the strong educators that we are. It's the leadership of our school that gives us the umbrella of comfort to teach our students the way we do. But, when our population increases compared to the other middle schools, won't they have to at least shift what they are doing? Won't their "product" have to improve? Isn't this creating a competitive edge that will start to drive improvement? Or at least shouldn't it?

In my opinion, the problem with education is that there isn't a worry about competition. Students in your neighborhood will go to the local school regardless of the quality. Unless, we throw down piles of cash to go to a private school, but that isn't much of an option for most of the population. Parents can also choose to stress about a charter lottery system to avoid going to their zoned school. In the end, many parents feel stuck. If we throw in a system that drives schools to work in the best possible way for the kids, then we will start seeing a shift in teacher quality, and more importantly education leadership. Principals will become more focused on mentoring teachers to improve the quality of the staff. Districts will have to start listening to what the parents are saying to understand what the community sees as the qualities that make a successful learning environment. If money is being thrown at private schools, then it would force the public education system to figure out why. Is it the lack of required state testing? Is the teacher quality that much better? How is it is better? If the vouchers are being applied to on-line education, how can our district better meet that demand? How can we better our value? Or, do we focus our efforts to be the best education option in another way?

All of these questions drive a concept of increased competition that, in my opinion, would lead to school reform and improvement. Schools would have to focus on what is best for the students from the kis' eyes and more importantly their parents' eyes. It's time to take away the idea that legislators and districts know what's best for all kids, and give that power back to those that truly know best, the parents.

I understand the issue of keeping state and/or federal money away from religious organizations. But this isn't necessarily about religion. This is about educating our youth. And if a community has an excellent school that is private and religion based, how can we say the dollars set aside to educate the kids in that district can't go to that school? We are giving recognition to a school for working at a high level, it just so happens that the school has a religious foundation. If the local public school doesn't like it, then it is up to them to buck up, and provide a better educational quality. A quality centered on students, and not on new standards and the test that supports them.

In the end, I spent over an hour catching up with my 20 year old cousin. Her opinions on education and life were so refreshing. I left our conversation knowing that if she represents even half of her generation, we're going to better off. We have to support opportunity for all kids to grow in learning environments that are best for them and their unique differences, instead of this one size fits all system. We both agreed that a little competition would be good for public schools, so I'm open for giving vouchers the opportunity to create that competitive spirit. And hopefully, help drive us to a better public education system.

Help me choose a school!!....for my kiddo.

It's August! I'm just as surprised and freaked as you are! For the last 2 years, August has been a little too crazy for my family. Our oldest will be in 2nd grade this year, so 2 years ago we were trying to figure out where to enroll him for school. We were left trying to answer that same question again last year at this time... I don't want to talk about his Kinder-year, so don't ask! ... or ask, but buy me a beer or two first!

With the amount of stress and anxiety we've been through, I thought I would write a little (my first attempt was WAY too long!!) about our experience in picking the right school for our oldest. My wife and I started by looking at the local public school. For reasons I don't want to get into, he couldn't go there.  (yes.. I'm saying that as a public school teacher!)

We explored all of our options for him within the district, and applied to the lottery system for two of the three charter schools in the area, but also did a few out of area requests for schools outside our "boundaries." Both the charter schools had an educational focus that fit our son. Really that is where you should start this process, by using your expertise on your own child to find the best school fits. We felt these two were hands down the best. We did the "out of area" requests as back-ups to the lotteries, but we also considered private school, and homeschooling.

For our oldest, we know how inquisitive he is, and that he loves to explore a variety of different learning topics. We also know that he is super social. He loves to be around other kids, and kids love to be around him. For those reasons alone we knew that homeschool just wouldn't happen for him, but would be our last resort. For private school?... well, like many, we just weren't in a financial position to tackle that one. But, there are many good things to consider when looking to take that path. 

As things started playing out, we were completely at the mercy of the lottery system, and the individual school principals considering our requests. For his kinder-year, we watched every good option pass us by, and were left enrolling him in a school we were not happy with. Even as a teacher in the district, not a single shred of additional consideration was given. All doors felt slammed in our face. We were shattered.

But, for first grade, we found out days before the start of the school year that his lottery position for one of the charter schools was green-lighted, and he was in. The rush to get everything together for him to be there was crazy, and we truly felt like we won The Lottery. The school is such a great fit for him, but if it hadn't worked, he would have been homeschooled for his first grade year. It had gotten that bad, and our very last resort was the only option. As a teacher in the district, I felt so disappointed, and unappreciated. So when this all worked out the way we needed it... it was just so wonderful.

So, the breakdown when considering schools for your kiddo:

1. Start with focusing on your child. You are the expert, so you know what learning environment will be best for his/her learning.
2. List out all of the school options: Public Schools, Charter Schools, Private Schools, Home School. What is feasible? What isn't?
3. Review the curriculum. Sometimes that will be a deciding factor. What do they use? What is the reputation of the material? Why was it chosen? Is it best for the kids, or was it chosen as a Band-Aid? 
4. Talk to the teachers/principal. You will know in the first couple of minutes if they are dedicated educators. Are they excited to meet you? Do they talk about their school with pride and not as a used car salesman? Are there award winners that work there? 
5. Talk to parents of kids at the schools. What do they think? Who are the teachers to avoid? Can they name more of those than teachers to get? Is there a PTA? Parents will be honest, so ask your questions.

In the end, finding the best school for your kiddo is all about knowing the strengths and interests of your child and matching those to the best school option. Sometimes that will be easy and the local public school will be perfect. Other times, you may have to pray to the charter school lottery Gods in order to get into the best school for your student.

If your only option is one that you are not happy about, then make yourself present in the school. Advocate for your kiddo, and act like the expert you are. It's a hard job being a parent in this situation especially if you have working hours during your kiddo's school time. It may seem like you don't have any control, but I will tell you that you will be the driving force behind your child's school success. My students that have parents that make learning a priority by setting the right educational tone at home, are the ones that are typically doing the best. Don't ever let a teacher, administrator, and anyone at a school make you think they know your child better than you do. They all work for you, so set the expectations for them as well. Do it respectfully, but hold them accountable. The great teachers will work with you and your kiddo to make the experience beneficial for all! If you don't like how things are going, talk to the teacher, then the principal, go to school board meetings, talk to the superintendent, write a letter to the editor, get other parents involved, and take control of the quality of the education in your area.

I hope you found this helpful. Let me know if you have any questions or additions (if I missed anything) by leaving a comment! Oh, and please feel free to share this with anyone you think might benefit from reading it. Finding the right school can be so overwhelming, it's important you know that you are not alone in dealing with the stress.

The video below is news coverage talking about the charter school lottery in Buffalo, NY, 

and the stress parents go through.