Private, Charter, Christian and Home Schools

In Michigan at least there has been much talk about these alternatives to public schools.  We have had a limited number of charter schools for many years.  These schools receive the same foundation grants as public schools and also administer the same state tests, allowing for some comparison in learning.  Entry to these schools is by request and beyond that by lottery, giving all students a fair chance for entry.  Students must provide their own transportation which does limit entry somewhat by area.  Charter schools may not charge any tuition and are increasing in number.

Much evaluation has been done on the results from charter schools.  Like all testing programs, there is much to account for in evaluating the effectiveness of charter schools.  After reading many different evaluations which all seem to account for different deviations in student populations, my conclusion is that there are good and there are bad charter schools but overall the results are similiar to public schools.

I do have some experience with charter schools.  My grandchildren attended a Heritage Academy for three years.  My impression was that the teachers were dedicated and effective and they seemed to get a good start at their schooling.  I was also impressed with the level of parent involvement.  On the other hand, an inordinate number of parents seemed to claim religious objections to shots and vaccinations to the point that it seemed it might affect the safety of the other children.

Private and Christian Schools are out of my range, but they should have certified teachers and parents need to carefully check on how well previous students have done and whether it prepares students for life.  While many in this category provide scholarships or partial funding for those who have limited means, parents must find their own tuition.  In Michigan public schools frequently help with transportation and special classes.

Home schooling is becoming more popular all the time and it can be effective if handled correctly and often brings the family closer together.  There has been some talk of funding or partially funding home schooling and I believe that some states do provide some funding.  Since parents make the choice for home schooling, I am personally not in favor of providing funds but I would like to see public schools reach out to home schoolers and offer some help with good practices.  They could, for instance, invite home school parents to in-service programs where they might join with public school teachers to learn new methods.

The two downsides of home schooling are that the students will not be socially active with their peers on a day to day basis and they will be lacking the additional perspective of a caring teacher.  Many home school families have joined into groups even having home school buildings, giving students social interaction and additional perspectives.  Home school parents need to be sure they have good materials for the students and should carefully evaluate student progress.  At the earliest sign of problems, they should seek help from public schools.

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