The most important civil rights issue challenging our country today is the equal right to and availability of a high quality education for all children in the United States. With the significant academic achievement gap that exists between socio-economic groups, it is clear that schools across United States are failing a vast number of our country’s children. Most of the children affected are already facing challenges no child should have to, and their schools need to provide additional supports and differentiated programming in order to accommodate their unique needs. During the late and 1980’s and early 1990’s, the development of the charter schools was rooted in a quest to free schools from bureaucracies and provide parents with a variety of public school choices and bringing accountability to a long-ailing system of education. In 1996, the state of Connecticut passed the law allowing for formation of Charter Schools to help address these issues.
But, what exactly are charter schools and why are they so important to the education of today’students?
Charter schools are tuition-free, open-enrollment public schools that allow taxpayer dollars to empower students and parents through educational choice. Each charter school is independently designed and operated, with the goals of boosting their students’ academic and personal achievements, creating a culture of college readiness and success. They operate according to state approved charters, or contracts, and must meet strict governance and academic standards in order to continue operation.
Charter schools provide structured, disciplined learning environments that focus on accountability and measurable results for both its educators and its students. These unique public schools have the flexibility to use innovative educational and support methods to positively impact student learning and meet the unique needs of each student, not only at individual charter schools, but across the entire public education system. Charter Schools partner with their families and neighborhoods in creating an atmosphere of mutual support, involvement, and understanding to improve their communities and the lives of their children. As a result, charter schools are the leading the way for America’s 21st Century civil rights challenge – educational equality across socio-economic and geographic barriers.
Competition from charter schools has been shown to increase composite test scores in traditional district schools.
Source: BusinessWire