My Relationship with Charter Schools

I have a hot and cold relationship with charter schools (you know you're talking to me when I claim to have a relationship with a type of school structure so if I ever end up switching bodies with someone and claim to be me, this is one way to identify I'm telling the truth). On the cold hand, they have, historically, been part of the racial divide in education, used in the south to keep segregation during desegregation and, presently, often continuing "unintentional" segregation(as in, we didn't start this school for only whites but it turned out that way, which just might have been our wish), especially in less urban areas (inner city charter schools seem to do a better job of having a diverse population of students). In Longmont, for instance, the percentage of people of color attending charter schools is about half of what it is in other public schools. Neighborhood schools then lose out on money and involvement of - likely but not necessarily - better educated parents.

On the hot hand, charter schools are able to be more innovative and, generally, have better parent participation and better academic results. As the parent of a new charter school student, charter schools have a new place in my heart. I agree with my Aunt Marilyn who wrote to me, I fundamentally believe in neighborhood schools (and in the public school system), but not necessarily for my child. What I realized recently is that I want my child's school to reflect our family and our values. When I visit Flagstaff Academy, where Asher will attend in the fall, I see my family and our values for education, character and healthy choices. A school is going to be part of our community, and I want to feel like we'll fit in.

We have a new high school opening in our district next year that will take many high performing, mostly white students from our lowest performing high school due to the schools' boundaries. I am waiting to see what kind of white flight we have. Talking about this change with a friend who works at the lowest performing high school, she commented about losing students to the new high school and charter schools. And right there I saw one of the other positives of charter schools. If principals of neighborhood schools, especially low performing schools, want to keep and attract high performing students (who more often have caring, involved, well-educated parents), principals are going to have to both take a look at their schools as to how to make them more attractive and be ready to give a good sales pitch to parents. The number one reason that I do not want to send Asher to our neighborhood school is that the principal tried to sell me on the school with a pitch about the school's history (you mean, asbestos?) and the bilingual program for Spanish speakers (so you have a lot of emphasis on Spanish speakers - do you have time for my son?). I definitely don't see my family and my values reflected there.

Harper will be at another charter school for preschool next year. I am so looking forward to being involved as a parent at two charter schools and deepening my relationship with charter schools (so dorky, I know. And I do realize there is life outside of school - they are just so fascinating!).