Charter Schools and Education Reform

So the girls have been in a more traditional school setting for about 7 weeks now...I say more traditional because though it is definitely more structured than homeschooling it is a very progressive and exciting environment. It isn't at all like what I hear some parents or kids describe when they speak about school.

Annie and Lucy have truly enjoyed making new friends and taking the bus and jumping rope at recess. All of those thing sound a lot like what I did in school way too many years ago. But they have also enjoyed have Frick Park as an extension of their classroom. They go into the park on a regular basis for a wide variety of educational purposes. Lucy's class took a 1.5 mile hike to the Frick Nature Center for a class and both girls participated in a "stash the trash" project cleaning up the park and the neighborhood around the school. They have an Environmental Science class twice weekly in addition to their regular science class and they are doing several projects that specifically involve using materials that they already have rather than buying new things.

The Charter School movement was started not only to give parents greater choices for their children's education but also to push school districts to make necessary changes by upping the ante so to speak. When school districts lose students to Charter schools they also lost the funding that goes with those students. That money is given to the Charter school. In order to not lose students many districts are learning from charter schools how to better meet the needs of students and parents pertaining to education and making some changes. It is a slow process but it is a beginning.

Charter Schools are not wholeheartedly embraced by School Districts - which is unfortunate. For example, our school is a City of Pittsburgh Public School...we are subject to their testing guidelines and accountable to them on a variety of levels. BUT you will not find our school on their website, or any information that would lead you to our school or any of the other city charter schools. It seems to be another example of not really wanting the best for our children and their educational process.

It is obvious by national data that the USA's educational system is in need of reform. Locally the same is true in a big way. Charter Schools are just one way for reform to happen and changes to be made.