Charter schools refer to schools of choice that are free from tuition and are funded publicly but at the same time are independently managed. These schools, in many instances, have the freedom to set up classes that they think are suitable and appropriate in meeting the demands of their students ( Ertas & Rouch, 2014). They are funded basing on the number of students they admit and are also in a position to generate more money from donations that they make privately. Students in charter schools have a record of presenting remarkable results compared to district schools ( Walters, 2019). The operation of all charter schools is under a contract or charter with the school authorizer of the charter. The contract lays down the mission of the school and the expected requirements, which are to be met promptly. The school authorizer may be a government agency, a university or a non-profit organization, and they have the power of closing down the charter schools that do not meet their overall expected standards. The location of most charter schools is in cities and big towns, with a few of them located in rural and suburban areas. Charter schools operate in such a way as to try and effectively provide a variety of alternatives so that parents and guardians can be in a position to choose a school that they feel suits their child ( Walters, 2019). Parents are also given a platform to take up an active role in the overall education of the children. Charter schools are equipped with educators who are reliable and dedicated to a reason that has prompted many parents to prefer them over private schools.
Historical Overview
The history of charter schools traces back to more than 25 years back. It was an idea that was started in Minnesota, whose sole purpose was to free up teachers to be innovative. Today, charter schools have developed into a vast national movement that involves 44 states with approximately 7000 learning institutions and more than two million students ( Walters, 2019). A family decides to send their children to charter schools without the charter schools going through the trouble of choosing or picking students from a particular area.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
In a situation whereby the enrollment demand surpasses the available space, a random lottery means of selection is applied to pick the students. A tiny percentage of the nation's students from public schools receive education from charter schools ( Ertas & Rouch, 2019) . Based on a report given by National Alliance Public Schools Charter, the market share of these charter schools has increased to over 30% in 19 cities. Charter schools on a daily operational level are managed by a principle that has been chosen by the board. Education management organizations in some states can as well manage them.
Charter schools are, however, not for profit, but in some instances, they may merge with a profit-making company to manage the better part of the school ( Walters, 2019). This may be through recruiting and hiring more teachers, implementing the policies of the school, among others, to generate some profit.
Contemporary Situation for Charter Schools
Racial isolation in a good number of charter schools cannot be denied as it is too evident. A study conducted by the Associated Press regarding the nationwide enrollment in charter schools during the year 2017 revealed that these schools were one of the racially isolated schools in the United States. While just 4% of public schools in the US have student bodies constituting 99% of the minority populace, 17% of Charter Schools have 99% of these positions held by minorities. Additionally, out of the 6747 charter schools, more than 1000 schools had the enrollment of minority students of 99% (Manarrez, Kisida, & Chingos, 2019). These numbers are quite troubling primarily because, according to Kotok et al. (2017), these significantly high economic and racial segregation levels are systematically associated with big gaps in educational achievement and opportunity. The racial isolation in these schools cannot be blamed on the school management because in most cases, it is the parent’s responsibility to decide where her child goes to school.
Furthermore, an analysis done during the year 2011 by researchers from the University of California and Pennsylvania indicated that these schools have a significantly high rate racial isolation when contrasted to the conventional public schools (Walters, 2019). Some officials from charter schools have recognized this isolation as a problem. For example, a bigger number of students from Milwaukee’s Bruce-Guadalupe Community School are of Hispanic origin. In this case, a good number of these students typically speak very little or no English at all when they start elementary school. The institution was established primarily to serve individuals from the Latin community (Walters, 2019). However, the management decided not to include a high school to allow its alumnus students to attend schools with students from different cultures
Recommendations
I would recommend that charter schools receive some form of support from state law through legislation to streamline admissions procedures that foster racial inclusivity. Charter schools have not received support from the state law, and that is why sometimes they often take matters in their hands and fuel isolation in practice. Research done in school-level demographics confirmed that; there is a negative effect on matters of racial integration in charter schools in over a third of the US states. I would also recommend that the policymakers of states take it upon themselves to realize the potential held by these schools. Charter schools, just like any other school, have the potential of assisting in the reversal of entrenched and longstanding segregation patterns all over the country. All this while, it has been the responsibility of school leaders and parents to realize and recognize this potential. However, policymakers of states have the necessary power to make sure that charter schools have students from all backgrounds. If this is put into practice, there will be a reduction of racial isolation in these schools and they will be diverse.
References
Ertas, N., & Roch, C. H. (2014). Charter schools, equity, and student enrollments: The role of for-profit educational management organizations. Education and Urban Society , 46 (5), 548-579.
Kotok, S., Frankenberg, E., Schafft, K. A., Mann, B. A., & Fuller, E. J. (2017). School choice, racial segregation, and poverty concentration: Evidence from Pennsylvania charter school transfers. Educational Policy , 31 (4), 415-447.
Manarrez, T., Kisida, B., & Chingos, M. (2019). Do Charter Schools Increase Segregation? Education Next , 19 (4), 312 - 423.
Walters, C. (2019). Erratum: The Demand for Effective Charter Schools. Journal of Political Economy , 127 (2), 971-971.
